Advertisement

Breg brace boosts fatigue response

The effect of fatigue on ankle muscle activity during landing from a jump is more pronounced while wearing a Breg Ultra FullCourt ankle brace than when unbraced, according to research from Iowa State University.

The brace, made by Vista, CA-based Breg, is worn by the Iowa State volleyball team. Researchers analyzed two male and six female athletes as they performed a backward jump, landing on the left foot only. Subjects were tested with and without ankle braces, and before and after a multimodal fatigue protocol.

During the braced condition, peroneus brevis activity during the preparation phase of landing was significantly higher post-fatigue than pre-fatigue. A similar trend was seen for the unbraced condition, but those changes were not statistically significant. It is unclear whether the brace effect is related to proprioception, altered muscle utilization, or both.

The findings were presented in August at the annual ASB meeting.

Advertisement