The effect of a six week proprioceptive exercise programme on Ybalance

Abstract

Context: Ankle injuries are the most frequently occurring injuries in sport. Proprioception programs are used in rehabilitation to success, so have been hypothesized as a method of prevention. Objective: To determine whether a six week proprioceptive programme has a positive effect on dynamic ankle balance, thus potentially reducing injury risk in healthy football players. Design: Pre-test post-test. Setting: All training sessions and pre and post testing were performed at Newport County AFC’s academy training facility. Participants: 20 male academy football players from Newport County AFC (n=20). Method: All 20 players were tested before the training programme started and after completing the programme using the Y-Balance test (YBT). Proprioceptive training was integrated alongside the warm up with progressions over a six week period. Results: YBT scores showed a significant increase after six weeks of training compared to pre-training scores (P<0.05) Conclusion: This indicates that proprioceptive training can improve dynamic balance in healthy male football players, and may positively influence ankle injury prevention.