Training & Development

Swimmer's shoulder: what dryland does and what to report

Swimmer's shoulder has no single proved cause, and dryland hasn't been shown to prevent it in swimmers. Dryland targets endurance; coaches manage load changes, while you report pain and changes at home.

September 21, 2026 · 3 min read

Idea in Brief

  • Shoulder complaints peak in the mid-teens. Group studies find their highest rates from ages 15 to 17.
  • Most suspected causes remain unproved. A review tested 80 variables and found no strong evidence for or against any.
  • Load changes and endurance keep surfacing. Dryland targets endurance, while coaches manage the ramp.

After training, your teenager sits on the pool edge, rolling one shoulder as the lane empties. You wonder if this is what those warnings about swimmers’ shoulders meant. A review of 22 studies tested 80 possible risk factors and found no strong evidence for or against any. Moderate evidence went against links with training frequency, main stroke, height and weight, sex, and age.

One 2020 review covered 12 studies and 1,460 competitive swimmers. The shoulder-pain rate was highest at 91.3% among ages 15 to 17, while other age groups ranged from 19.4% to 70.3%. A separate survey of 671 swimmers aged 9 to 17 found symptoms in 49%. Pain and disability were higher in 15-to-17s than 9-to-10s, and in swimmers with more years in sport. In Portugal’s 2026–27 season, that band spans roughly Juvenis B through Juniores. Group rates don’t predict what will happen to your swimmer.

The 2023 review’s highest-quality study covered 201 swimmers. It linked injury with a high acute-to-chronic workload ratio: how much work the body has done lately against how much it is used to. It also pointed to reduced posterior shoulder strength-endurance: how long the muscles at the back of the shoulder can keep working before they fade. The review called this its most clinically relevant changeable risk factor. The volume review linked weekly volume with shoulder pain in adolescents and warned against sudden, large increases. It gave no safe cut-off.

The dryland hour targets that capacity, not speed this month. Across 25 randomised trials of 26,610 people, strength training cut sports injuries to less than a third and almost halved overuse injuries. Those trials covered other sports and did not include swimming. None measured swimmers’ shoulders. Stretching showed no protective effect. This broader evidence explains strength work’s aim. It does not promise anything about one shoulder. The dryland guide explains supervised, age-appropriate sessions without asking you to coach.

The load ramp belongs to the coach. A 2024 clinical report says training loads are commonly advised to rise by no more than 10% to 20% each week. Its example is running, not swimming. It also says weekly training time, repetitions, or total distance should increase gradually. This doesn’t create a safe swimming number. It explains why base and race season weeks look different and why practice counts need age and context.

At home, regular meals, enough to drink, and sleep help the body adapt between sessions. The 671-swimmer survey found past shoulder pain or traumatic injury was the best indicator of current pain and disability. Say that at the start of the season. Tell the coach if your swimmer stops using that arm to lift a bag or if anything else changes at home. Pain is a doctor’s question. The exame médico-desportivo, or sports medical exam explains who signs a swimmer fit.

Share it with your swimmer

Keep this message short and clear.

  • Under 12 (you’re driving). “Tell me if your shoulder hurts, even if training seems fine.” This makes speaking up simple.
  • 12–15 (sharing the wheel). “That shoulder has hurt before. Let’s tell your coach now.” This makes past pain useful early.
  • 16+ (they’re driving). “Please tell your coach about past shoulder pain when the season starts.” This makes reporting their task.

Stay aligned with your coach

The coach plans the load and dryland. You protect sleep, food, hydration, and report changes from home. Ask, “What should we report before the load rises?”

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