The study titled ‘Compression Garments and Adaptations to Plyometric Training in Soccer Players’ published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research explores the effects of chronic use of compression garments (CG) during plyometric training. The research involved eighteen male soccer players from a reserve team of an elite professional club, who participated in a 6-week plyometric microcycle training block.
The primary aim was to analyze whether the use of CG would yield beneficial effects on training adaptations compared to a placebo (PLA). The players were randomly assigned to receive either CG or PLA for 24 hours after each plyometric session, with the training program consisting of two sessions per week.
Before and after the training program, the players were tested on various performance parameters, including countermovement jump performance, one-leg sprint power, knee extensor strength, pennation angle of the calf muscles, creatine kinase levels, and perceived muscle soreness. The results were analyzed using a 2-factor mixed linear model.
The findings indicated a moderate, significant improvement in countermovement jump performance for the CG group, with a standardized effect size (d) of 0.762, while the PLA group showed a small, nonsignificant improvement (d = 0.344). Notably, one-leg power performance exhibited a large, significant improvement in the CG group (d = 1.690) and a smaller, yet significant improvement in the PLA group (d = 0.867).
Overall, the results suggest that the chronic use of CG for recovery does not negatively affect training adaptations and may enhance power following a plyometric training program.
What this study does not show
This study does not establish a direct causal relationship between the use of compression garments and improved athletic performance, nor does it assess long-term effects beyond the 6-week training period.
Evidence scorecard
- Analytic validity: Established
- Clinical validity: Established
- Clinical utility: Partial