The study titled ‘Compression Garments and Adaptations to Plyometric Training in Soccer Players’ published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research aims to explore 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 receive either CG or a placebo (PLA) after each plyometric session.
The players underwent a plyometric training program consisting of two sessions per week for six weeks. The primary objective was to determine whether the use of CG would enhance training adaptations compared to the placebo group. 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 indicated a moderate, significant improvement in countermovement jump performance in the CG group, with a standardized mean difference (d) of 0.762, while the PLA group showed a small, nonsignificant improvement (d = 0.344). Additionally, one-leg power performance exhibited a large, significant improvement in the CG group (d = 1.690) and a notable improvement in the PLA group (d = 0.867).
Overall, the findings suggest that the chronic use of CG 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 the long-term effects of compression garments beyond the 6-week training period or their impact on other athletic populations.
Evidence scorecard
- Analytic validity: established
- Clinical validity: established
- Clinical utility: partial