The study titled ‘Compression Garments and Adaptations to Plyometric Training in Soccer Players’ published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research aims to evaluate the effects of chronic use of compression garments (CG) during a 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 CG group or a placebo (PLA) group.
The players underwent a plyometric training program consisting of two sessions per week for six weeks. The primary objective was to determine if the use of CG would lead to improved training adaptations compared to the PLA group. The players were assessed on various performance parameters before and after the training program, including countermovement jump performance, one-leg sprint power, knee extensor strength, pennation angle of the calf muscles, creatine kinase levels, and perceived muscle soreness.
Results indicated a moderate, significant improvement in countermovement jump performance in the CG group (effect size d = 0.762), while the PLA group showed a small, nonsignificant improvement (d = 0.344). Additionally, one-leg power performance improved significantly in both groups, with the CG group showing a large effect size (d = 1.690) compared to the PLA group (d = 0.867).
Overall, the findings suggest that the chronic use of compression garments for recovery does not negatively impact 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 address the long-term effects of such garments beyond the six-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.