Differences in Proprioceptive Balance between High School Varsity Athletes and High School Non-athletes

Proprioceptive skill is an important component of everyday activity and optimal athletic performance. Additionally, proprioceptive training reduces initial and recurrent injury risk. However, despite the rise in adolescent athletic injuries, no peer-reviewed case-controlled studies exist comparing proprioceptive ability in high school athletes. This study examined the extent that proprioceptive skill differed between high school varsity track athletes (n=20) and high school non-athletes (n=20), using the previously validated single-legged stance (SLS). No differences existed between groups in gender, age, BMI, blood pressure or heart rate. There were statistically significant mean differences in SLS time between the athletes and the non-athletes on both the right (Mdiff = 7.452, p = 0.007) and left lower limb (Mdiff = 8.517, p = 0.001). Specifically, high school athletes demonstrated greater proprioceptive balance skills as compared to high school non-athletes at baseline, highlighting the importance of proprioceptive training in adolescent athletics.