Concentric Versus Eccentric Exercise-Induced Fatigue on Proprioception, Motor Control and Performance of the Upper Limb in Handball Players: A Retrospective Study

TL;DR

This study compared how concentric and eccentric fatigue affects shoulder control and performance in handball players, finding that both types of fatigue impair sensorimotor function, with small differences in specific tasks.

Contribution

The study provides new insights into contraction-mode differences in shoulder sensorimotor fatigue among handball players using a between-cohort comparison.

Findings

Concentric fatigue caused a greater increase in joint repositioning error at end-range internal rotation compared to eccentric fatigue.

Eccentric fatigue led to a larger decline in isometric force output in specific shoulder positions.

Both fatigue types reduced upper-limb performance and shoulder stability, but differences were task-specific.

Abstract

Background: Upper-limb performance in handball depends on accurate shoulder sensorimotor control under high loads and fatigue. This study examined between-cohort differences associated with concentric versus eccentric exercise-induced fatigue in shoulder proprioception, kinesthesia, functional stability, and isometric force output in professional male handball players. Methods: This was a retrospective, quasi-experimental (non-randomized) between-cohort comparison of two previously collected cohorts who completed either a concentric (n = 46) or eccentric (n = 33) fatigue protocol, with pre- and post-fatigue assessments of joint repositioning sense (absolute angular error, AAE), threshold to detection of passive movement (TTDPM), Y Balance Test Upper Quarter (YBT-UQ), and the Athletic Shoulder (ASH) test. Results: Fatigue significantly increased AAE across all tested angles (Time: all p < 0.001), with a contraction-specific effect at end-range internal rotation (IR45°), where AAE increased more after concentric than eccentric fatigue (Time × Fatigue Type: p = 0.017; Δ = +1.34° (+61.8%) vs. +0.20° (+7.4%)). TTDPM increased after fatigue (p = 0.001) with no interaction (p = 0.968). YBT-UQ performance decreased after fatigue for all dominant-limb outcomes and for non-dominant inferolateral, superolateral, and composite scores (all p ≤ 0.018), but not for non-dominant anteromedial reach (p = 0.986); no Time × Fatigue Type interactions were detected for YBT-UQ outcomes (all p > 0.05). ASH force output decreased across all positions and both limbs (all p ≤ 0.002), with the dominant-limb Y position showing a greater decline following eccentric fatigue (Time × Fatigue Type: p = 0.030; e.g., ASH Y dominant Δ = −0.49 (−4.6%) vs. −1.43 N·kg−1 (−13.3%)). Conclusions: Exercise-induced fatigue impairs shoulder sensorimotor function and upper-limb performance in handball. Contraction-mode differences were small and task-specific in this between-cohort comparison, emerging primarily at end-range proprioception and selected isometric strength positions. These findings may inform the design of training programs that emphasize fatigue-resistant sensorimotor control and end-range strength, while causal inferences regarding contraction mode are not warranted given the non-randomized design.

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