Factors affecting the shoulder proprioceptive sense among male volleyball players

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 degrees abduction, external rotation and 90 degrees abduction, neutral rotation. Participants were tested at 2 degrees/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 degrees and 15-20 degrees in external rotation before fatigue. The proprioceptive sense of elite volleyball players before and after fatigue was statistically different at 20 degrees, whereas for the beginner players significance was indicated at 10 and 15 degrees. 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.