Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Wearing Knee Sleeves During Back Squats Does Not Improve Mass Lifted Or Affect Knee Biomechanics, Hunter J. Bennett, Alexandria Trypuc, Kevin A. Valenzuela, Zachary A. Sievert

Human Movement Sciences & Special Education Faculty Publications

Purpose:
Knee sleeves have become widely popular in the exercise realm, especially for knee support during back squats. Knee sleeves are successful in providing frontal plane knee support during functional tasks, but have not been investigated in back squats. Knee wraps, a somewhat similar elastic material, provide elastic energy that increases weight lifted during back squats. Thus, it is possible the thick neoprene knee sleeves could prove advantageous for back squats. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of knee sleeves on weight lifted, knee biomechanics, and muscle activations during back squats.

Methods:
Fifteen resistance trained men …