title: Impact of ankle bracing on skill performance in recreational soccer players.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the effect of ankle braces on kicking accuracy, speed, and agility in competitive, nonelite soccer players. We hypothesized that the use of ankle bracing would significantly decrease performance in soccer-specific drills immediately after use but not after acclimation to the brace.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective randomized controlled trial.
  
  
  METHODS
  University.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty healthy recreational adult soccer players (5 men and 15 women; mean age, 23 ± 4.8 years) without a history of lower extremity injury in the past 6 months. All the subjects completed the study.
  
  
  METHODS
  The subjects completed a set of performance measures (ie, accuracy shooting at a target, 40-yard dash, S180° run, and T test) with an McDavid 199 Lightweight ankle brace (test subjects) and without an ankle brace (control subjects) during 2 testing sessions spaced 7-10 days apart. Between the 2 testing sessions, the subjects wore the ankle brace on at least 4 occasions while participating in athletic activities to ensure that a learning effect occurred.
  
  
  METHODS
  Outcomes included kicking accuracy (accuracy shooting at a target) and speed and agility (time to complete a 40-yard dash, S180° run, and T test).
  
  
  RESULTS
  No significant difference in performance was found for the accuracy in shooting at a target, 40-yard dash, S180° run, and T test (P > .05) with and without an ankle brace during a session and between sessions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Ankle braces did not significantly affect performance in speed, agility, or kicking accuracy in healthy, competitive, recreational soccer athletes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98105, USA.
authors.forename: Alison R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Putnam
authors.forename: Shakira N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Bandolin
authors.forename: Brian J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Krabak
mesh_terms: D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D016512:Ankle Injuries / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000843:Ankle Joint / Q000503:physiopathology*; D054874:Athletic Performance; D001915:Braces; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D012916:Soccer / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult