Effectiveness of Ankle Strengthening Training in Mitigating Sprain injury among Athletes: A Scoping Review

This scoping review investigated the effectiveness of ankle strengthening programs for athletes in mitigating ankle sprain injuries. The study analyzed five relevant articles published between 2019 and 2024, focusing on athletes of various ages, skill levels, and sports. The study employed a scoping review methodology, following the framework outlined by Arksey and O'Malley. It involved five stages: identifying research questions, identifying relevant studies, study selection, charting the data, and collating, summarizing, and reporting the results. The researchers utilized electronic databases such as Google Scholar, PubMed, Science Direct, and Semantic Scholar to identify peer-reviewed articles published in English within the last five years. The inclusion criteria encompassed studies focusing on athletes of any age or skill level, ankle strengthening interventions, and outcomes related to ankle strength, stability, or injury reduction. Data extraction was conducted using a standardized form to gather important information, such as study characteristics, intervention specifics, outcome measures, and key findings. The synthesized data was presented narratively to address the research questions and highlight gaps in existing literature. The results indicated that ankle strengthening programs, particularly those involving thera-band resistance training and isokinetic muscle strength training, could improve ankle strength, dynamic balance, and functional performance. The study concluded that ankle strengthening programs are a valuable tool for athletes, but further research is necessary to definitively establish their long-term effectiveness in reducing ankle injuries.