The Best Ankle Support for Athletes: A Guide

Medically Reviewed By | Dr. Kate Panawash, PT, NCS, DPT

The ankle is a complex piece of organic machinery. It’s made up of various tendons, ligaments, muscles, and bones and is one of the major weight-bearing structures within the human body. Most movements and motions you make while standing, especially things like running and jumping, rely heavily on the stability of the ankle.

Because of this, the ankles are extremely important for most types of athletes — high levels of balance and agility cannot be achieved without great performance in and around the joint.

While athletes strive for ankle health, they also often encounter ankle problems. The increased physical stress and repetitive strain they put on the area leave it prone to pain, soreness, and injury.

Fortunately, there are tools available today that athletes can use to support their ankles in multiple ways.

Incrediwear Ankle Sleeve

Below, we’re breaking down how the Incrediwear Ankle Sleeve can help prevent injury, increase active performance and aid in recovery.

How It Works

All Incrediwear products are constructed with a unique fabric blended with tiny semiconductors. When you put it on, the semiconductors are activated by your body heat, causing them to release negatively charged ions into your tissues throughout the skin. 

This process creates vibrations within the cells, leading to a whole host of biological benefits. The ankle gets an increase in blood flow and blood speed — better blood supply means faster lymphatic drainage and more crucial oxygen and nutrients aiding the area. The overall result is decreased inflammation, swelling, and pain.

Difference between Incrediwear and Compression

So why go with Incrediwear over a traditional “compression” garment? The main reason is while a sleeve or wrap that compresses your ankle may temporarily reduce pain, it’s doing so by constricting blood flow. Contrary to popular belief, this is actually not beneficial to your body, as it goes against what your immune system is trying to accomplish.

Incrediwear does the exact opposite and works with your body’s natural healing process. Blood flow is upregulated, giving the cells what they need to repair damaged tissues.

Another key difference between the Incrediwear Ankle Sleeve and a compression ankle sleeve is how they affect your range of motion. A compression garment squeezes your body, restricting the movement of the target area. 

Incrediwear allows you to retain an effortless range of motion regardless of activity. The fabric is also really breathable, making it comfortable to wear in any situation.

Ankle Sleeve Specs

When you slide the Incrediwear Ankle Sleeve on, it will reach from about mid-way up your shin down to the foot's arch. This makes it great for ankle support and shin, heel, and foot arch support.

Its low profile makes it easy to slip under any cleat, trainer, sneaker, cycling shoe, etc. It’s also suitable for layering underneath socks, sweatpants, and leggings in the colder months.

The multiple sizes available will make for a more custom-feeling fit, and you can pick between black or gray to match your athletic wardrobe.

Many athletes find sweaty and dirty gear uncomfortable. Another great detail about the Incrediwear Ankle Sleeve is that you can just throw it in a normal wash to get it feeling fresh again — no special cleaning protocol required.

When Can I Wear the Ankle Sleeve?

One of the reasons why the Incrediwear Ankle Sleeve is so powerful is that it can support your body around the clock. Whether you’re in the gym for a training session, at home resting in bed, or on the field or court for a game, the sleeve will comfortably aid your body. It’s so comfortable that many athletes even wear it overnight while sleeping.

When you’re active, its effects on blood flow improve the ankle's performance and resilience. When you’re resting, its effects on blood flow improve and speed up recovery mechanisms.

The Incrediwear Ankle Sleeve is not just for injuries. Many athletes wear it as a preventative/performance measure when their ankles are healthy, and many athletes wear it to help with general soreness that’s so commonly experienced with activity.

Common Ankle Injuries

So what conditions can the Incrediwear Ankle Sleeve help with? Here are some of the most common issues that athletes face.

Sprains

Sprains are extremely common among athletes and occur when a ligament (the tissue that attaches bone to bone) is stretched past its normal range. This results in partially or completely tearing the tiny fibers that make up the ligament.

Ankle sprains usually cause pain and inflammation and should be treated to prevent further damage. If you’re currently dealing with an ankle sprain, check out our in-depth blog about wrapping ankles properly. “Seeking out an evaluation and treatment by a Physical Therapist is a great way to speed up the recovery process and also prevent future sprains. It is common to have an increased frequency once you have had one,” highlights Katelyn Panawash, Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) and Board Certified Neurologic Clinical Specialist (NCS).

Strains and Tendonitis

When a tendon (the tissue that attaches muscle to bone) or muscle is overstretched, it results in a pull or strain. Tendonitis refers to the inflammation of a tendon, which happens as the result of overuse or force trauma. “Achilles tendinitis is one you may be familiar with. That’s the tendon that connects the calf muscles to the foot,” notes Panawash.

Ankle Fracture

The bones around the ankle are also prone to fractures. The severity of the injury depends on which bone or bones are affected and how bad the break is. Fractures usually occur in athletes as the result of a fall or collision.

What Types of Athletes Need Ankle Support?

While all forms of athletes may find use from our ankle sleeve, some sports and activities definitely call for more support in this department than others. 

They include:

• Basketball
• Football
• Tennis
• Track and Field
• Dance
• Soccer

Give Your Ankles a Boost

Ankles take a lot of wear and tear. For top athletes, finding proper support is vital for success in the arena. The Incrediwear Ankle Sleeve is the perfect tool to help boost performance and prevent and treat injury.

If you have any other problem areas around the body, be sure to check out our complete collection of sleeves, wraps, and braces. Whether it’s your ankle, elbow, wrist, back, or knee, Incrediwear has got you covered.

Sources:

Sprained ankle - Symptoms and causes | Mayo Clinic

Tendonitis | Johns Hopkins Medicine

Lymphatic Drainage Massage: What it Is, Benefits & How To Do It | Cleveland Clinic