{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,20]],"date-time":"2026-10-20T20:09:08Z","timestamp":1792526948985,"version":"4.5.0"},"reference-count":23,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,6]],"date-time":"2026-03-06T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1772755200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Life"],"abstract":"<jats:p>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 &lt; 0.001), with a contraction-specific effect at end-range internal rotation (IR45\u00b0), where AAE increased more after concentric than eccentric fatigue (Time \u00d7 Fatigue Type: p = 0.017; \u0394 = +1.34\u00b0 (+61.8%) vs. +0.20\u00b0 (+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 \u2264 0.018), but not for non-dominant anteromedial reach (p = 0.986); no Time \u00d7 Fatigue Type interactions were detected for YBT-UQ outcomes (all p &gt; 0.05). ASH force output decreased across all positions and both limbs (all p \u2264 0.002), with the dominant-limb Y position showing a greater decline following eccentric fatigue (Time \u00d7 Fatigue Type: p = 0.030; e.g., ASH Y dominant \u0394 = \u22120.49 (\u22124.6%) vs. \u22121.43 N\u00b7kg\u22121 (\u221213.3%)). 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.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/life16030429","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,6]],"date-time":"2026-03-06T13:00:02Z","timestamp":1772802002000},"page":"429","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Concentric Versus Eccentric Exercise-Induced Fatigue on Proprioception, Motor Control and Performance of the Upper Limb in Handball Players: A Retrospective Study"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"16","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0009-9593-866X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Stelios","family":"Hadjisavvas","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Health Sciences, University of Nicosia, 2417 Nicosia, Cyprus"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Michalis A.","family":"Efstathiou","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Health Sciences, University of Nicosia, 2417 Nicosia, Cyprus"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8676-0603","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Irene-Chrysovalanto","family":"Themistocleous","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Health Sciences, University of Nicosia, 2417 Nicosia, Cyprus"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3365-7768","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Manos","family":"Stefanakis","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Health Sciences, University of Nicosia, 2417 Nicosia, Cyprus"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,6]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"231","DOI":"10.1136\/bjsports-2016-096927","article-title":"Handball load and shoulder injury rate: A 31-week cohort study of 679 elite youth handball players","volume":"51","author":"Nielsen","year":"2017","journal-title":"Br. 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