Thoracic mobility training and performance outcomes in adolescent female volleyball players: a randomized controlled trial

OBJECTIVE: Thoracic mobility significantly enhances athletic ability and performance. The objective of this study was to examine the impact of thoracic mobility exercises on the physical attributes of strength, endurance, flexibility, and the speed of serve and spike in female adolescent volleyball players. METHOD: In this study, 36 adolescent female adolescent volleyball players participated. Participants were divided into 2 groups as mobility added training and only training program. In the mobility group, thoracic mobility exercises were applied in addition to the training program for 4 weeks. The athletes were evaluated in terms of internal and external rotation strength, endurance, thoracic mobility, spike and serve speeds. A 2 × 2 ANOVA was used to compare the differences between the groups. RESULTS: In this study, significant increases were observed in strength, scapular endurance, thoracic rotation angles, smash and serve speed in both the thoracic mobility group and the control group (p < 0.05). However, it was determined that changes in some parameters differed between groups; right internal rotation strength increased only in the control group, while hyperextension increased only in the thoracic mobility group (p < 0.05). However, no group was found to be superior to the other in terms of any parameter in the intergroup comparisons (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: The results indicate that thoracic mobility exercises added to training programs yield similar results to the control group in terms of strength, endurance, flexibility, spike and serve speed. Future studies with longer-term interventions, dose-response design, and different sports disciplines may further contribute to the literature. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT07203209, 24.09.2025. Retrospectively registered.