Can Compression Garments Reduce Inter-Limb Balance Asymmetries?

Area of Science:

• Sports Science
• Biomechanics
• Human Movement Analysis

Background:

• Compression garments (CG) offer sensory cues that may enhance movement accuracy and reduce inter-limb balance asymmetries.
• Inter-limb balance asymmetries are linked to an increased risk of injury in athletes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of wearing compression garments (CG) on inter-limb balance asymmetries in sportsmen.
• To determine if CG reduce asymmetries, particularly in individuals with pre-existing high levels of asymmetry.

Main Methods:

• Twenty-five sportsmen performed one-leg stance tasks (stable and unstable) with and without CG.
• Center of foot pressure parameters were used to calculate asymmetry indexes.
• Correlational and qualitative analyses examined CG effects based on baseline asymmetry levels and leg dominance.

Main Results:

• CG reduced inter-limb balance asymmetries in participants with high baseline asymmetries.
• Conversely, CG increased asymmetries in participants with low baseline asymmetries.
• The dominant leg was disproportionately affected by the negative impact of CG in low-asymmetry individuals.

Conclusions:

• Compression garments can be beneficial for reducing injury risk in athletes with significant baseline balance asymmetries.
• CG may be detrimental for individuals with low baseline balance asymmetries, potentially increasing injury risk due to sensorimotor processing overload.