Scientists at Dundee University have discovered that the risk of tennis elbow can be lowered by reducing the tension of tennis racquet strings.
Tennis elbow is a common health injury among players, with half of players experiencing it in some form in their careers.
Professor Rami Abboud of the university’s Institute of Motion Analysis and Research conducted experiments with his team into the effects of forces placed on the elbow during a backhand stroke.
He said: “Tennis elbow, or lateral epicondylitis, is a common injury for tennis players and one that, while it can appear relatively benign, can lead to significant pain long after people have stopped playing,”
“We examined the stresses placed on the elbow that were exerted while playing simulated backhand shots, which have been shown to force greater pressure on the elbow than forehand shots.
“We found a clear relationship between varying string tension and the forces that were placed on the elbow.
“The tighter the strings then the greater loading we found on the elbow.
“In tennis players with a predilection for developing tennis elbow, reducing the racquet tension should be considered to help reduce the risk of injury.”