Scapular muscle endurance may improve shooting performance in air pistol shooters.

BACKGROUND: In air pistol shooters, the number of studies evaluating the physical characteristics is very few. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of core, scapula, and shoulder girdle muscles endurance on performance in air pistol shooters and to determine the importance of the endurance parameters. METHODS: Twenty-eight male air pistol shooters were included. The Closed Kinetic Chain Upper Extremity Stability Test, Upper Quarter Y Balance Test, Prone Bridge Test, Side Bridge Endurance Test, and The Scapular Muscle Endurance Test were used to evaluate the endurance of shoulder girdle, core, and scapular muscles. The relationships between endurance and shooting performance parameters were investigated. RESULTS: A positive moderate correlation was found between the scapular muscle endurance test and the shooting performance (P=0.002 r=0.638). A significant regression equation was found for shooting scores (F(1.26)=11.975, P=0.02, R2=0.315). It was observed that the shooting score increased by 0.375 points for each unit increase of the Scapular Muscle Endurance Test. No statistically significant relationship was observed in other parameters (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In this study, core and shoulder girdle muscle endurances were not associated with shooting performance. Scapular muscle endurance may contribute positively to shooting performance. An exercise program to increase scapular muscles endurance can be beneficial for the performance of shooters.