Sex Differences in Upper-Limb Neuromuscular Performance in Volleyball Players Across Task-Specific Shoulder Positions

The purpose of this study was to examine sex differences in upper-limb neuromuscular performance in competitive volleyball players across task-specific shoulder positions. Twenty-four athletes (12 males, 12 females) competing at the national level participated in the study. Upper-limb neuromuscular performance was assessed using the Athletic Shoulder (ASH) test performed in three positions (I, Y, and T). Peak force, rate of force development (RFD), and time to peak force were analyzed. A significant main effect of test position and a Test × Sex interaction were observed for peak force (p < 0.05), with males demonstrating higher values than females across all positions. In contrast, no significant sex differences or interaction effects were found for RFD (p > 0.05). For time to peak force, no main effect of test position or interaction was observed; however, post hoc comparisons indicated higher values in males across individual positions. No significant inter-limb differences were detected for any variable. These findings suggest that sex-related differences in upper-limb neuromuscular performance may depend on the specific variable and shoulder position assessed. The results provide preliminary insight into sex-related characteristics of shoulder neuromuscular performance in volleyball players. However, given the cross-sectional design and limited sample size, the findings should be interpreted with caution and cannot be generalized beyond the studied population. Further research is needed to confirm these observations and to explore their potential relevance in applied settings.