INTRODUCTION: The practice of high-level boxing repeatedly strains the shoulder [1,2] and few studies have explored the isokinetic profile of the rotator muscles of the boxer. Our objective was to describe and compare isokinetic muscle profiles of the shoulders of high-level boxers by laterality and gender. METHODS: A total of 14 male (age = 21 ± 1.9 years, height = 180 ± 10 cm, mass = 68 ± 12 kg) and 5 female (age = 19 ± 0.7 years, height = 167 ± 7.1 cm, mass = 57 ± 5.1 kg) of the French Boxing Team took part to this cross-sectional study. A clinical examination and a bilateral shoulder isokinetic test were carried out for all the athletes of the French Boxing Team as part of the annual medical check-up. The muscle strength of the internal rotators (IR) and external rotators (ER) of the shoulder were measured on an isokinetic dynamometer (Biodex system 4, Biodex Medical Systems, New York, USA) in the concentric mode at 60°/s and 180°/s, and the eccentric mode at 60°/s. The ER : IR concentric ratio at 60°/s was also calculated RESULTS: The statistical analysis of the data shows in males, a difference between the rear arm and the front arm only on the external rotators in the concentric mode at 60°/s (0.53 ± 0.08 vs. 0.50 ± 0.07, P = .03). For females, this trend is also apparent with a rear arm stronger than the front arm, but only at the 10% threshold. When comparing the ER : IR concentric ratio at 60°/s between men and women, significant differences were observed in the rear arm (0.63 ± 0.10 vs. 0.85 ± 0.14, P = .002) and the front arm (0.61 ± 0.09 vs. 0.80 ± 0.12, P = .005). CONCLUSION: The isokinetic profile of high-level boxers, men and women, appears to be symmetrical between the rear arm (considered as the dominant one) and the front arm, with the possible exception of the external rotators peak force in the concentric mode at 60°/s, which is higher on the dominant side. On the other hand, there are differences in muscle profile between men and women, with a ER : IR concentric ratio at 60°/s, significantly higher in women than in men. This difference in muscle profile between male and female boxers should thus be explored in the context of certain shoulder diseases.
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