Background: To explore the effects of Ving Tsun (VT) sticking-hand training on knee joint proprioception and leg muscular performance among community-dwelling middle-aged and older adults.

Methods: Thirty-three middle-aged and older adults were randomly assigned to either the VT or control group. The VT group received sticking-hand training twice/week for 3 months. Data were collected before and after the intervention period. The primary outcome was knee joint repositioning error, which was measured using knee joint active repositioning tests. The secondary outcomes included the maximum muscle strength and time to maximum muscle strength of the major leg muscles.

Results: No significant group, time, or group-by-time interaction effects were found for the knee joint repositioning error (p > 0.05). The maximum muscle strength of the knee flexors increased over time in the VT group only (p = 0.038). In addition, the time to maximum muscle strength in the hip extensors and flexors increased over time in both groups (p < 0.05). For the knee extensors and flexors, the time to maximum muscle strength increased in the control (p = 0.027) and VT (p = 0.019) groups, respectively, over time.

Conclusions: VT sticking-hand training could improve the maximum muscle strength of the knee flexors but could not attenuate the age-related deterioration in leg muscle contraction speed nor improve knee joint proprioception among community-dwelling middle-aged and older adults.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03318289. Registered on 23 October 2017.