Affiliations: [a] Middle East Technical University, Department of
Physical Education and Sports, Ankara, Turkey | [b] Ankara University, Sports Medicine Center, Ankara,
Turkey | [c] Middle East Technical University, Medical Center,
Ankara, Turkey
Abstract: Proprioceptive sense plays an important role in shoulder joint
movements and stability especially in executing performance like playing
voleyball. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of different
positions, the rotator cuff muscle fatigue and experience on shoulder
proprioceptive sense among male volleyball players. Twenty elite and 20
beginner volleyball players participated in this cross-sectional study.
Shoulder proprioceptive sense was determined by measuring participant's
perception of joint position with the joint at 90°
abduction, external rotation and 90° abduction, neutral
rotation. Participants were tested at 2°/s before and
after exercising on an isokinetic-testing machine until fatigued with dominant
extremities were assessed. The results revealed significant difference between
proprioceptive senses of beginner volleyball players at
10–20° and 15–20° in external
rotation before fatigue. The proprioceptive sense of elite volleyball players
before and after fatigue was statistically different at
20°, whereas for the beginner players significance was
indicated at 10 and 15°. However, no significant
difference was found between elite and beginners in the proprioceptive scores
at the 3 angles in both directions before and after the fatigue test. It was
concluded that the effect of fatigue on proprioceptive sense is related to
experience, but experience itself had no effect on proprioceptive sense.
