European Journal of Adapted Physical Activity 18, 11 (2025) | DOI: 10.5507/euj.2025.005


Assessing shoulder strength in elite sitting volleyball athletes: An isokinetic analysis of rotator cuff muscles

Mohamad Fashi1, Mohammad Reza Mahmoudkhani2, Arezoo Eskandari3, Shirko Ahmadi4,5*
1 Department of Biological Sciences in Sports, Faculty of Sports Sciences and Health, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran
2 Sport Medicine and Health Department, Faculty of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
3 Department of Exercise Physiology, Faculty of Physical Education and Sports Science, Tehran University, Tehran, Iran
4 Vitalité Health Network, Dr. Georges-L.-Dumont University Hospital Centre, Moncton, Canada
5 Maritime SPOR SUPPORT Unit, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

The nature of sitting volleyball (SV) involves repeated overhead activities and rapid movement across the court using the upper limbs. Consequently, these technical demands necessitate optimal glenohumeral muscle performance, especially among professional athletes. This study aimed to investigate the shoulder rotators' isokinetic strength profile of elite SV players. Sixteen male SV national team players participated in this study. They were preparing for the Tokyo 2022 Paralympic Games, with an average age of Mean = 27.1, SD = 6.5 years, height of Mean = 188.2, SD = 17.1 cm, weight of Mean = 88.1, SD = 21.7 kg, and a BMI of Mean = 24.9, SD = 7.6 kg/m2. We used an isokinetic dynamometer to measure the peak torque, angle of peak torque, total work, and average power of the external rotator (ER) and internal rotator (IR) muscles in the dominant limb. Measurements were taken at a velocity of 60º/s in a concentric/concentric mode. The upper body Wingate anaerobic test was conducted on a modified electro-magnetically braked cycle ergometer. The IR muscles showed significantly higher values for peak torque (p = .04), total work (p = .01), and average power (p = .05) compared to the ER muscles. There was no difference in angle of peak torque (p = .31) between IR and ER muscles. This study's results may serve as a reference standard for assessing the performance of SV players, with a focus on the rotator cuff muscles in their dominant limb, aiming to enhance their quality and efficiency.

Keywords: Paralympic, isokinetic strength, glenohumeral muscles, professional athlete

Received: March 27, 2024; Revised: December 6, 2024; Accepted: March 21, 2025; Published online: May 30, 2026  Show citation

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Fashi, M., Mahmoudkhani, M.R., Eskandari, A., & Ahmadi, S. (2025).
Assessing shoulder strength in elite sitting volleyball athletes: An isokinetic analysis of rotator cuff muscles. European Journal of Adapted Physical Activity, 18, Article 11. https://doi.org/10.5507/euj.2025.005
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