Mapping the landscape of proprioception research in gymnastics : a bibliometric analysis and systematic review

Fallas-Campos, Andrea (author), Muñoz-Jiménez, Jesús (author), Rojas-Valverde, Daniel (author), Yáñez-Sepúlveda, Rodrigo (author), Léon-Guzmán, Kiko (author)

Proprioception is a fundamental aspect of human movement and body awareness. The body’s ability to perceive its position in space enables accurate limb movement and balance control. Purpose: This study aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the current state of knowledge and to analyze bibliometric data related to proprioception in gymnastics and acrobatics. The study consists of two phases: (1) a bibliometric review based on data from the Web of Science and (2) a systematic review using Web of Science, PubMed, and Scopus databases. The search terms "gymnast*" and "propriocep*" were used to identify relevant publications. Out of 164 studies, 29 were included for data extraction, comprising 1,379 participants of various ages, sports, physical activity levels, and physical conditions. Due to the heterogeneity of study designs and assessment methods, interpreting the effects of proprioceptive interventions and comparing results across samples is challenging. Proprioception in gymnastics is difficult to define, given the diversity of referenced evidence and physiological considerations. Moreover, the commonly used assessment tools do not fully capture the multisensory nature of proprioception as it applies to gymnastics. Our findings suggest that gymnastics training enhances joint position awareness and force sense, thereby improving proprioception and reducing the risk of injury. Proprioceptive exercises should be integrated into gymnastics training programs to promote movement stability and precision.

• Language: English
• Keywords: sport, balance training, kinesthesia, postural control, neuromuscular control, athletic performance, rehabilitation, sport readaptation, gymnastics
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FŠ - Faculty of Sport
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2025
• Number of pages: Str. 287-302, 347
• Numbering: Vol. 17, iss. 2
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-183714
• UDC: 796.41
• ISSN on article: 1855-7171
• DOI: 10.52165/sgj.17.2.287-302
• COBISS.SI-ID: 274570499

Copyright

Podatek o licenci CC BY-SA 4.0 je naveden na pristajalni strani članka (glej zgoraj izvorni URL). (Datum opombe: 19. 6. 2026)

• Publication date in RUL: 19.06.2026

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Science of gymnastics journal
• Publisher: University of Ljubljana Press, Slovenia (Založba Univerze v Ljubljani)
• ISSN: 1855-7171
• COBISS.SI-ID: 246418176

Licences

• License: CC BY-SA 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
• Description: This Creative Commons license is very similar to the regular Attribution license, but requires the release of all derivative works under this same license.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Title: Pregled raziskav propriocepcije pri telovadbi : bibliometrična razčlenitev in sistematični pregled

Abstract

Propriocepcija je temeljni vidik človeškega gibanja in zavedanja telesa. Sposobnost telesa, da zazna svoj položaj v prostoru, omogoča natančno gibanje okončin in nadzor ravnotežja. Namen te raziskave je zagotoviti celovit pregled trenutnega stanja znanja in razčleniti bibliometrične podatke, povezane s propriocepcijo v telovadbi in akrobatiki. Raziskava je sestavljena iz dveh delov: (1) bibliometrični pregled na podlagi podatkov iz Web of Science in (2) sistematični pregled z uporabo baz podatkov Web of Science, PubMed in Scopus. Za prepoznavo ustreznih virov sta bila uporabljena iskalna izraza »gymnast*« in »propriocep*«. Od 164 raziskav jih je bilo za izvoz podatkov vključenih 29, ki so zajemale 1379 udeležencev različnih starosti, športov, stopenj telesne dejavnosti in telesne priprave. Zaradi različnosti zasnov raziskav in metod ocenjevanja je razlaga učinkov proprioceptivnih posegov in primerjava rezultatov med vzorci zahtevna. Propriocepcijo v telovadbi je težko opredeliti glede na raznolikost dokazov in fizioloških vidikov. Poleg tega pogosto uporabljena orodja za ocenjevanje ne zajamejo v celoti več čutne narave propriocepcije, kot se uporablja v telovadbi. Naše ugotovitve kažejo, da telovadba izboljša zavedanje položaja sklepov in občutek za silo, s čimer izboljša propriocepcijo in zmanjša tveganje za poškodbe. Proprioceptivne vaje bi morale biti vključene v programe telovadbe, da bi spodbudile ponovljivost in natančnost gibanja.

• Keywords: šport, gimnastika, telovadba, vadba, vidna izpostava, posnetki, prisotnost, navidezne možnosti, igrana resničnost