Efeitos de um protocolo de treinamento proprioceptivo sobre a estabilidade do tornozelo em atletas universitários de voleibol

Abstract

Introduction: Volleyball demands explosive movements and rapid changes of direction, which predisposes athletes to ankle sprains, accounting for approximately 80% of injuries in the sport. The loss of proprioception following such injuries leads to chronic instability, making proprioceptive training an essential strategy for rehabilitation and prevention. Objective: The objective was to investigate the effects of a proprioceptive training protocol on ankle stability in university volleyball athletes. Methods: A quasi-experimental, single-group study with an internal control period was conducted with 15 volunteers of both sexes (6 men and 9 women), with a mean age of 19.87 years. Participants underwent a control period (4 weeks without intervention) followed by an intervention period (4 weeks of training, twice per week). Stability was measured by reach distance on the Star Excursion Balance Test (SEBT) in the anterior (ANT), posteromedial (PM), and posterolateral (PL) directions, as well as by the composite score. For comparisons, Repeated Measures ANOVA (Leg versus Time) with planned contrasts was used. Results: An improvement was observed during the training period compared to the control period in the posteromedial and posterolateral directions and in the composite score, regardless of leg (p = 0.011, p = 0.005, and p = 0.009, respectively). No significant differences were found in the anterior direction (p > 0.05). Conclusion: The four-week training protocol was effective in improving SEBT performance/reach, indicating an improvement in functional ankle stability in volleyball athletes.