Hypermobility in athletes: Risks, tests and training solutions

Athletes with hypermobile joints need specialized training to enhance stability, reinforce proper mechanics, and reduce injury risk. In this video, sports performance trainer Dana Sorensen discusses hypermobility — excess joint flexibility — and its impact on athletes, especially softball pitchers.

To assess hypermobility, Sorensen outlines the Beighton test, which includes five assessments for hypermobility in the elbows, thumbs, hands, back, and knees.

• Elbow Test: Extend an arm to the side. If the forearm drops at a severe angle, the athlete is hypermobile.
• Thumb Test: With the elbow bent at 90 degrees, pull the thumb toward the forearm. Touching the forearm indicates hypermobility.
• Finger Test: With one hand flat on the leg, pull one finger backward. Reaching a 90-degree angle suggests hypermobility.
• Lumbar Test: Standing with feet together, bend forward as far as possible. Full contact with the ground indicates hypermobility.
• Knee Test: Sitting with legs extended, lift the heel off the ground by engaging the quads. Significant clearance between the heel and ground suggests hypermobility.

Identifying hypermobility is crucial for designing tailored training programs, as these athletes require targeted strength exercises to stabilize their joints. For example, hypermobile knees benefit from hamstring strengthening, while hypermobile shoulders need bicep and tricep work to control excessive motion. Sorensen highlights how hypermobility impacts pitching mechanics, particularly for those throwing screwballs, as it can lead to lost power and improper spin.

Hypermobile athletes often struggle with body awareness, affecting mechanics and increasing injury potential. To help with this, it’s important to implement verbal cues, proper training, and monitoring to help these athletes control their movements and prevent issues like ACL injuries.