The effects of two ankle braces on sprint speed, agility, and vertical jump height in healthy female collegiate athletes

Purpose. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of the Swede-O Ankle LokRTM and the Ankle Stabilizing OrthosisRTM ankle braces on sprint speed, agility, and vertical jump height in healthy NCAA Division II and III female athletes.; Findings. No significant difference was found for athletes performing functional activities when wearing a brace or no brace. Eight of the twenty subjects have previous bracing experience and no significant effect was found between the group with previous experience bracing and the group without previous experience. It was also found that the majority of subjects felt bracing had an effect on performance, even though the bracing did not affect sprint speed, agility time, and vertical jump height.; Conclusion. The Swede-O Ankle LokRTM and Ankle Stabilizing OrthosisRTM are both soft-shell braces. Since the braces did not inhibit functional performance, braces can be worn for support without the concern of influencing athletic performance. The majority of the subjects felt the bracing has some effect on performance even though it did not. The subjects in this study also felt the bracing was supportive and would prevent injury. This study supports the literature stating bracing does not inhibit functional performance and that bracing is a good idea for support and prevention. The fact that only female athletes were tested is also important because few studies have focused on collegiate female athletes alone. Performance in each functional test was consistent with or without the bracing condition. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)...