Effects of Ankle Compression Garments on Fatigue and Single-Leg Balance in Collegiate Basketball Players

Basketball players are prone to ankle injuries. It is unclear if wearing ankle compression garments (CGs) can enhance balance control and time to fatigue in those athletes. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of ankle CGs on both time to fatigue and single-leg balance. Sixteen Division II (D2) collegiate basketball players participated in the study. The Cumberland Ankle Instability Tool (CAIT) was used to assess ankle stability. Fatigue was induced through deficit heel raises, and single-leg balance was assessed with the Athletic Single Leg Stability Test (ASLST) of the Biodex Balance System. Ten out of 16 (62.5%) basketball players were classified as having chronic ankle instability (CAI). Wearing CGs did not significantly prolong the time to fatigue (P = .774), and participants with CAI and without CAI had a similar time to fatigue (P = .958). In addition, wearing CGs significantly worsened single-leg balance before fatigue (P = .021), but enhanced balance control after fatigue (P = .027). Results indicate a strong prevalence of CAI in collegiate basketball players, and wearing CGs may not be able to enhance single-leg balance before fatigue. Although participants who wore CGs did not significantly increase their time to fatigue, their single-leg balance significantly improved after fatigue. This finding suggests wearing ankle CGs may have the potential to remediate the impact of fatigue on balance control. Future studies with a larger sample size are needed to further examine the impact of wearing ankle CGs on fatigue and single-leg balance.