The Effect of Proprioceptive Training Program on Joint Position Senses, Balance Ability and Agility of Male Volleyball Players

Abstract

This study aimed to find the effects of proprioception training for improving ankle and trunk joint position senses, balance ability, agility and power, and thereby to lay the theoretical ground of proprioceptive training for preventing volleyball players' injuries and improving their athletic performance. As the subjects of this study, 30 male players in Korea Volleyball Federation (KOVO), who had the career as volleyball players, were selected. The active motion mode of the Humac NORM (CSMI, U.S.A.), the isokinetic testing equipment to measure ankle joint and trunk position sense accurately, was used to measure inversion, eversion, plantar flexion, dorsi flexion and trunk flexion joint position. For balance ability, static and dynamic balance ability evaluated. One leg standing with closed eyes test was used to measure static balance, and dynamic balance was measured using Y-balance. Agility was measured using a side step and a 20m dash. In the measurement of the joint position senses, with right ankle inversion 15^o, left & right ankle dorsi flexion 10^o, and left ankle plantar flexion and trunk flexion 15^o, interaction effects were found (p<.01, p<.05). Plantar flexion of the right ankle had the interaction effect (p<.01). In the standing on one foot test to measure static and dynamic balance, the interaction effect was observed (p<.01). Right anterior, right posteromedial, left posteromedial, right composite score, and left composite score had the interaction effect (p<.01, p<.05). Right posteromedial and left posteromedial showed the interaction effect (p<.01, p<.05). The side-step test to measure agility also observed the interaction effect (p<.01). 20M dash also showed the interaction effect (p<.01). This study found that the proprioceptive training program affected improvements in volleyball players' ankle and trunk joint position senses, balance, and agility.