Abstract:
Background: Swimming is a physically demanding sport that requires a combination of strength,
endurance, and flexibility to perform competitively. Among these, thoracic mobility is critical for
breathing mechanics, body rotation and stroke efficiency. At the same time, core stability is
necessary for preserving appropriate body alignment and lowering energy consumption in the
water. Few studies have examined the connection between core stability and thoracic mobility in
swimmers. Developing knowledge about this correlation may help with training adjustments and
injury prevention.
Objective: To investigate the relationship between thoracic mobility and core stability among
male swimmers aged 11-17 years in selected schools in Colombo educational Division
Methodology: A descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted with 150 volunteer participants.
The thoracic rotation was evaluated using the lumbar locked thoracic rotation test by iPhone
compass app. Core stability was evaluated through the side plank test, trunk flexor test and trunk
extensor test, one-minute sit-up strength test and the sit and reach flexibility test. The statistical
analysis was performed using SPSS version 25.0. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov (KS) test was used to
assess the normality of the distribution. Pearson’s correlation coefficient was applied to normally
distributed variables, and Spearman’s rank correlation was used for non-normally distributed
variables.
Results: Results revealed that there was a significant positive correlation between thoracic
mobility and core stability (except trunk flexor test) (p<0.05). Right thoracic mobility had a weak,
but significant positive correlation with the core strength (r=0.191, p=0.019) while left thoracic
mobility did not significantly correlate with core strength. (r=0.155, p=0.058). Conversely, left
thoracic mobility showed weak but significant positive correlation with the core flexibility
(r=0.169, p=0.038) while right thoracic mobility did not (r=0.152, p=0.064).
Conclusion: Thoracic mobility had a weak but significant correlation with core stability
components. The findings of this study will benefit the swimmer’s performance, injury avoidance
and future research into targeted thoracic mobility training in swimmers.
