Relationship between Thoracic Mobility and Core Stability among Male School Swimmers Aged 11-17 Years from Selected Schools in Colombo Educational Division

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.