Abstract
Leonard, T. M., Rotay, J. S., Paulson, S., Sanders, J., Shippensburg University, Shippensburg, PA
Ankle sprains are the most common injury in athletics. Ankle bracing and taping are widely used in order to prevent ankle injuries. Purpose: The primary purpose was to examine the effects of ankle taping and bracing on agility, maximum vertical jump (MVJ) height, and vertical power. The secondary purpose was to determine if there were performance differences in training status (athletic vs. non-athletic) between the conditions. Methods: Nineteen participants (Age 20.6±1.5 yr, Height 173.7±11.9 cm, Mass 77.3±18.0 kg) volunteered. Of the 19 participants, 10 (8 male, 2 female, Age 21.1±1.4 yr, Height 178.6±12.4 cm, Mass 81.52±19.7 kg) were classified as athletic and 9 (3 male, 6 female, Age 20.1±1.5 yr, Height 168.5±10.0 cm, Mass 72.6±15.8 kg) were non-athletic. Subjects completed three counter-balanced conditions (control, braced, and taped). The tests were a countermovement standing MVJ, vertical jump displacement test (VJD), and the Illinois Agility test (IA). The VJD was used to calculate power. Results: There were no significant differences between conditions for the MVJ test (M: Taped = 23.2 in; Braced = 23.3 in; Control = 23.3 in; p = .79), power from the VJD test (M: Taped = 103.8 kg∙m∙s-1; Braced = 103.0 kg∙m∙s-1; Control = 106.1 kg∙m∙s-1; p = .10) or the IA test (M: Taped = 18.1 s; Braced = 18.2 s; Control = 17.9 s; p = .43). There were statistically significant differences in training status for all measurements (p < .05); however, training status did not affect performance across conditions. Conclusion: According to these results, ankle bracing or taping did not significantly impair agility or MVJ and power performance. However, these measurements were affected by the training statuses of the individuals regardless of the condition.
Recommended Citation
Leonard, T.M.; Rotay, J.S.; Paulson, S.; and Sanders, J.
(2014)
"The Effects of Ankle Taping and Bracing on Agility, Vertical Jump, and Power,"
International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings: Vol. 9:
Iss.
2, Article 44.
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.wku.edu/ijesab/vol9/iss2/44