Low-Rider

Recently, Nike and Kobe Bryant introduced their latest basketball shoe.

What's so special about them? They're not the usual high-tops we're used to seeing.
In fact, the low cut design brought back the argument about what type of shoe is best for basketball. Many experts have said that high tops are better at reducing ankle sprains (the most common injury in basketball), while others have said that high-tops limit performance.

During a recent interview with ESPN.com , Mr Bryant brought up lots of reasons for his decision to go to this new model.

• Soccer players cut harder and put more torque on their ankles than basketball players do, but they play in shoes lower cut than his new one.


• "High Tops were becoming more restrictive" and he wanted to make the shoe "as snug as possible" .


• "I've rolled my ankles a lot of times wearing high tops". Like his severe Right Ankle Sprain in 2005 .
  


• "If you come down on somebody's foot - there's nothing you can do about that"


• The current design "cuts the weight of the shoe"


• "gives your foot a little more freedom to change directions"

When asked how it will translate to the average, chubby, middle america basketball playing guy ? "the shoe will actually make you faster" and make you jump higher.

So what do I think? (Thanks for asking)

He's right about several things:

• Soccer players do cut hard and wear even lower-cut cleats.


• If you land awkwardly on someone else's foot, there's a good chance you'll turn your ankle regardless of the type of shoe you're wearing.


• A lighter shoe can help you jump (relatively) higher and move (somewhat) faster. Although I doubt it's going to significantly affect how tired you get on the court.

But Here's One Thing That Nike And Kobe Are Not Discussing - as reported in The Canadian Press , Kobe may be wearing a new low-cut shoe but "Bryant is sticking with plain old athletic tape for ankle support").

Why's that important? Taping ankles and/or wearing ankle supports has been shown to reduce the risk of ankle injuries (especially in athletes who have already injured their ankles before).

Just like the professional soccer players he watches and admires, Mr Bryant has a professional trainer at his disposal who will wrap his ankles before every practice and game.

Do you? Didn't think so.

Take Home Message Number 1
If you want to play in Kobe's low tops, either get someone to tape your ankles (will provide support for a limited time, depending on the type of tape and how it's applies) or put on an ankle support (will provide continuous support) before you hit the court.

Take Home Message Number 2
Regardless of what some people wear, they'll still sprain their ankles. Like Kobe says in his interview, "if you get crossed up, that's your fault" .

Ankle Taping: Good News/Bad News

Those of you who have read some of my past entries know that ankle sprains are the most common injuries in basketball.

Research has shown that, once you sprain your ankle, you are more likely to injure that ankle again.

Research has also shown that ankle taping can decrease the risk of having a second (or third, or fourth or...) ankle injury.

While many players tape up before each practice or game, others do not because they worry that this might impair their performance on the court.

In this article from the Journal of Sports Science and Medicine, researchers from Spain compared the effects that ankle taping had on the vertical jump and the balance of 15 active young men (average age = 21 years).

They found no significant difference in their vertical jump or balance when their ankles were taped or not taped. This information might make people more likely to tape their ankles and not worry that it will impair their performance.

At the same time, however, they also found that the ground reaction force (the force of impact when the body lands) of the vertical jumps was significantly greater on the knees when the subjects had their ankles taped.

This is likely due to the fact that the ankle taping made the ankles "stiffer" and less able to absorb the landing force. In this way, more force was transferred to their knees to act as shock absorbers.

I would like to see a similar study performed with some of the more common ankle braces, which are likely to be less tight than a freshly wrapped ankle. And, to make it more applicable to real-life basketball athletes, the testing should have been performed after letting the subjects play basketball for 15-30 minutes (during which tape jobs often loosen up). And, while we're on the subject of improving the study, it should also include younger athletes of both genders and more tests (agility, speed, etc.)

The take home message? This does not lead to an all-or-none decision for or against taping ankles. For those who worry that ankle taping might decrease their vertical jump and adversely affect their balance - fear not. But for those whose main concerns are patellar tendonitis, Osgood-Schlatter and other knee overuse injuries, keep in mind that taping ankles may play a role in your knee pain.

Roll 'Em!

I love it!

More and more information that used to be available only on VCR tapes or DVDs is now being streamed via the internet.

Research has shown that the risk of repeat ankle injuries can be decreased by taping or wearing an ankle brace. Similar support can be given to other injured joints that can help reduce pain and increase function.

A recent Web Alert from the American College of Sports Medicine let me know about a nice resource online that can give health care providers a refresher course on taping joints.

It's available through Mueller Sports Medicine, a company that supplies taping materials, braces and other protective devices for use by athletes.

http://www.muellersportsmed.com/taping/taping.html

It's a nice review for athletic trainers, therapists and other people who frequently tape up athletes, featuring Mueller products.

Like the disclaimer on the video says - "The information contained in this program.....should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment of a medical condition".