The effects of the ASO ankle brace and ankle taping on speed and agility in female softball athletes and male baseball athletes

The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of prophylactic ankle bracing and the effects of prophylactic ankle taping on athletes\u27 speed and agility. Thirty-one subjects, twenty-one male professional baseball players and ten female collegiate softball players with no history of an ankle injury the previous six months, participated in three performance tests while wearing the ASO ankle brace, a modified Gimby ankle taping, and unsupported. The subjects completed the flying forty yard dash for speed, the SEMO test for general agility, and the Edgren test for specific lateral agility. Multiple trials were administrated to account for learning effects. The resultant data were analyzed with a multivariate repeated-measures design. The data were tested for order effects; no significant differences were found. The data were then tested for multicollinarity by use of an intercorrelation matrix across the three dependent (compacted) variables. A 2 x 3 multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was used to analyze gender and support conditions (with repeated measures) effects across the dependent variables; and significant differences were followed up with univariate analyses of variance (ANOVAs). Effects for interactions of gender x support condition were evaluated by Wilkes\u27 A. There were no statistically significant interactions found. In univariate ANOVAs for post hoc testing significant differences were found for gender effect on speed (forty yd. dash), general agility(SEMO test), and specific lateral agility (Edgren test). ) A significant difference was found in the follow up univariate analysis across support conditions for general agility (SEMO test) wherein the unsupported condition was significantly faster (less time) than the braced or taped conditions. On the basis of the findings, it was concluded that the subjects\u27 speed in the forty yard dash was not significantly reduced by bracing or taping. It was concluded that the subjects\u27 agility was significantly slowed by both prophylactic bracing and taping as demonstrated by performance in the SEMO general agility test. It was concluded that males and females are not differentially affected by bracing and I or taping. There was no significant statistical difference found between the ASO Ankle brace and the taped ankle in speed and agility tests. It can be concluded that budgetary considerations and personnel time maybe the critical factors when selecting certain ankle braces over ankle taping