Do ankle braces impair sports performance?

Many weekend warriors and elite athletes wear ankle braces during play. We reviewed many studies to determine what is known about athletic performance and use of ankle braces. Although at the All-Star Sports Arena in Springdale, we hear many complain that they are not as fast or can not make quick cutting motions with braces; studies have only found the greatest effect of ankle support on performance was a 1% impairment of speed of lace-up style brace on sprint speed. Studies of high school athletes using ankle braces long term showed no effect on agility, sprinting speed, or vertical jump ability. One study using a semi-rigid brace (ex. Active Ankle) actually improved agility, but not vertical jump. The athlete may feel more protected and the brace may restrict movement to the painful range. The movements needed in a sport and history of ankle sprains assist in deciding whether to wear a brace. The braces and tape also may apply an edema reducing compression to the ankle, although swelling has shown not to be a main cause for decreased performance. Lack of physical therapy is a major reason why people re-sprain their ankle, so athletes should complete treatment before returning to play. Many top level women's basketball teams are now wearing braces as a preventive measure. Some have mentioned ankle braces possibly causing knee injuries. One study has shown increased force on the knee when landing on a slanted surface, but as of yet there are no direct correlations to knee injuries when wearing ankle braces. In conclusion, the positive effect of preventing injury by using braces probably outweighs the small risk of not performing as well in your sport. While the use of braces may be cost effective over taping in the long run, coaches and athletes should discuss this with their physical therapist, athletic trainer and doctor.