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 a 6-week plyometric training program. The research involved eighteen male soccer players from a reserve team of an elite professional club, who were randomly assigned to either a compression garment group or a placebo group.
The primary aim was to analyze whether wearing compression garments during recovery would enhance training adaptations compared to a placebo. The players participated in two plyometric training sessions per week over six weeks, and their performance was assessed before and after the training program.
The parameters measured included 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 indicated that the CG group experienced a moderate, significant improvement in countermovement jump performance (effect size d = 0.762), while the placebo group showed a small, nonsignificant improvement (d = 0.344).
Moreover, one-leg power performance improved significantly in both groups, with the CG group showing a large effect size (d = 1.690) compared to the placebo group (d = 0.867). These findings suggest that the chronic use of compression garments 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 compression garment use and improved athletic performance, nor does it address long-term effects beyond the 6-week training period.
Evidence scorecard
- Analytic validity: established
- Clinical validity: established
- Clinical utility: partial
The evidence is based on a randomized controlled trial involving human participants.