Researchers have studied the velocity and forces necessary to sprain an ankle
Muscle Strength and Reaction Time. Muscle strength and reaction time are not risk factors for ankle sprains. The muscles in your legs control the position of your foot. Researchers have studied the velocity and forces necessary to sprain an ankle[9],[10]. In order to rupture a ligament in the ankle complex the speed required is greater than the speed with which your muscles react to the stimulus that your ankle is about to go too far in one direction or another. In addition it takes even longer for your muscles to reach full contraction. By the time this happens your ligaments could be long gone. What reaction time and muscle strength do affect is the positioning of your foot before it hits the ground. This positioning can be very influential when it comes to increasing you risk of ankle sprain[11].
Shoe Type. Shoes may increase or decrease Nike Air Max Shoes your risk for ankle sprains. Some researchers theorize that certain types, such as high-top basketball shoes, may increase proprioceptive feedback from the ankle joint[12]. There is also some evidence that shoes offer some resistance to the excessive range of motion in the ankle[13]. One study was done of over 10,000 recreational/elite basketball players to determine some ankle sprain risk factors. In a questionnaire distributed to players who had suffered an ankle sprain they asked several questions about shoes including: cut (high, mid, low-top), cost, brand/model, and condition (good, fair, poor). When they noticed a high frequency of players wearing more expensive shoes also suffered ankle injuries they looked at other commonalities in the high priced shoes. The most common feature of these shoes was the presence of air cushions in the heel portion of the Nike SB Shoes shoe. From this research they conclude that these air cushions increase the likelihood of an ankle sprain. The same may be true for shoes with energy return systems like Nike Shox. There are four key features of a shoe that will help limit ankle injury. These are lateral (side-to-side) stability, torsional (twisting) flexibility, cushioning, and traction control. The most significant of these features is traction control[14]. Among soccer and football players, cleat length and design has been linked to an increase in ankle injuries[15]. The increased traction increases foot fixation. This foot fixation increases the vulnerability of all of the lower joints of the leg, in particular, the ankle.
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