The Effect of Ankle Brace Use on a 3-Step Volleyball Spike Jump Height

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this study was to determine whether ankle brace use in university-level varsity volleyball athletes affected their 3-step spike jump height and whether certain types of ankle braces have a greater effect on jump height. Methods Nine male university-level varsity volleyball athletes participated in a repeated-measures design study in which each athlete performed three 3-step volleyball spike jumps in 3 ankle brace conditions (soft, rigid, and no brace). Vertical jump height was measured by the Vertec device and video motion analysis at a university biomechanics research laboratory. Results Vertical jump heights were significantly lower in both brace conditions (soft, 2.3 cm, standard deviation [SD] 1.2 cm, P < .001; rigid, 1.7 cm, SD 0.9 cm, P < .003) compared with the no-brace condition, and no differences in vertical jump height were observed between the brace conditions (0.6 cm, SD 0.3, P = .3). There was a negative correlation between body fat percentage and vertical jump height ( r = –0.075, P = .02). The Vertec device reliably measured vertical jump in all 3 conditions. The no-brace vertical ground reaction forces during the loading phase were significantly greater than brace conditions. Ankle range of motion was greatest in the no-brace condition. Conclusions Results from this study suggests that high-performance athletes wearing ankle braces experience a significant decrease in vertical jump height independent of the type of ankle brace worn. Clinical Relevance Sports physicians and health care providers caring for high-level athletes should counsel athletes on the trade-offs of wearing protective equipment in sport, as potential decreases in sports performance can lead to increased injury prevention. Level of Evidence III.

The effect of two types of ankle orthoses on the repetitive rebound jump performance

“…Nevertheless, ankle orthotics may have a negative impact on athlete performance in activities such as sprinting [ 2 ], cutting [ 3 ], jump landing [ 4 , 5 ], and vertical jumping [ 2 ]. Furthermore, there is a consensus that ankle orthotics reduces the vertical jump height [ 6 – 12 ]. Also, the features of ankle orthoses should be considered as they affect jumping performance [ 8 ].…”

“…Ankle orthoses are biomechanically designed using a wide variety of materials to control, limit, and immobilize the motion for ankle joint. This effect of jump performance may be due to a decrease in the ankle range of motion (ROM) in the sagittal plane [ 10 , 11 ], rectus femoris and calf muscle activity [ 8 , 9 , 11 ], or vertical ground reaction force (VGRF) [ 8 , 12 ].…”

Ankle Orthosis-induced Decrease in Repetitive Rebound Jump Height: Relationship With Restriction in Sagittal Ankle Range of Motion

“…Nevertheless, ankle orthotics may have a negative impact on athlete performance in activities such as sprinting [2], cutting [3], jump landing [4,5], and vertical jumping [2]. Furthermore, there is a consensus that ankle orthotics reduces the vertical jump height [6][7][8][9][10][11][12]. This may be due to a decrease in the ankle range of motion (ROM) in the sagittal plane [10,11], rectus femoris and calf muscle activity [8, 9,11], or vertical ground reaction force (VGRF) [8,12].…”

“…Furthermore, there is a consensus that ankle orthotics reduces the vertical jump height [6][7][8][9][10][11][12]. This may be due to a decrease in the ankle range of motion (ROM) in the sagittal plane [10,11], rectus femoris and calf muscle activity [8, 9,11], or vertical ground reaction force (VGRF) [8,12]. However, since the ankle orthosis-related decrease in jump height is small (0.013 m), it is controversial whether ankle orthotics in uences vertical jump performance during practice or competition.…”

“…Moreover, the in uence of ankle orthotics on jump performance varies depending on the sport type and competition level [10]. Most previous studies focused on the maximum jump height for static vertical jumps such as squat jump (SJ) [8][9][10] or countermovement jump (CMJ) [6][7][8]11]; hence, some studies [6,12] pointed out the difference between the experimental situation and the actual eld situation. Certainly, the maximum jump height is an essential factor for athletic performance.…”