Effects of proprioceptive training on ankle muscle strength in fencers: A clinical trial.

Background: Fencing is a combat sport, which depends of lower limbs muscular strength and neuromuscular function. Because of that, approximately half of all injuries occur in lower limbs, especially in ankle. Thus, the objective of this study was to verify the influence of a twelve-week proprioceptive training program on ankle muscular strength and muscular balance in fencers.

Methods: The study was a clinical trial, with 19 fencing athletes from 14 to 35-year-old. The main outcome was ankle invertors, evertors, plantiflexors and dorsiflexors muscular strength and ankle muscle balance. The study was performed in six stages: familiarization of muscular strength test in isokinetic dynamometer; pre-intervention; intervention; post-intervention; three- and six-months follow-up. At pre-intervention stage, the muscular strength was evaluated. At intervention stage, the athletes performed 12-week proprioceptive training program, three times a week. At post-intervention, three- and the six-months follow-ups, same pre-intervention test was performed.

Results: The proprioceptive training improved front leg ankle dorsiflexor strength at three- and six-months follow-ups compared to pre-intervention. Furthermore, training increased the front leg dorsiflexors/plantiflexors conventional ratio at three- and six-months follow-ups compared to pre-intervention; and evertors/invertors conventional ratio at three-months follow-up compared to pre-intervention; and evertors/invertors functional ratio at post-intervention and three- and six-months follow-ups compared to pre-intervention.

Conclusions: The improvement and/or maintenance of ankle muscle strength occurred in intervention group seems to be due to stimulus provided by proprioceptive training, with ankle dorsiflexors being the most stimulated group.