Haptic Patch Improves Leg Strength and Symmetry in Elite Athletes

Drug-free haptic patch improved leg strength and jump symmetry versus placebo in NCAA Division I athletes, a trial presented at icSPORTS 2026 in Angers, France.

NARRAGANSETT, RI, UNITED STATES, November 3, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — A drug-free haptic patch narrowed the strength gap between right and left legs of elite college athletes, according to results of the POWER-UP randomized trial presented at the 14th International Congress on Sport Sciences Research and Technology Support (icSPORTS 2026) in Angers, France. After application of a haptic vibrotactile transduction (VTT) patch, the non-dominant leg strength of athletes came up to stasis with the dominant leg strength.

Large strength differences between an athlete’s two legs are a common screening marker in return-to-play and injury-prevention programs, yet few non-medication tools have been tested against placebo for reducing them. The presentation, given by Peter Hurwitz, President of Clarity Science, LLC, with co-authors Jason Taporco, MD, and Mark Sakr, DO, of the University of Arizona College of Medicine, reported results for a patch that applied VTT to the skin of the dominant thigh.

“Coaches and athletic trainers pay close attention to the gap between an athlete’s two legs because it is one of the markers they use to judge readiness and injury risk,” said Peter Hurwitz, President of Clarity Science, LLC. “In this placebo-controlled trial, the non-dominant leg gained more with the drug-free patch than with placebo. That is a signal worth testing in larger studies that track actual injuries and recovery.”

Key Findings and Placebo-Controlled Results
• Non-dominant leg gains most: left knee-flexion peak force rose 7% with the active patch versus 2% with placebo, and the gain was significantly greater than placebo for maximum force (p=0.005) and average force (p=0.009).

How the Trial Worked
Each of the 70 athletes (40 women, 30 men) wore both the active patch and a visually identical placebo patch, in random order and blinded, with a 7- to 10-day washout between. Average wear time before testing was about 3.8 hours. Strength was measured with isokinetic knee dynamometry and jump force with a force plate.

The technology is designed to stimulate touch receptors in the skin. The resulting signal is thought to involve PIEZO1 and PIEZO2 ion channels, the touch-sensing proteins recognized by the 2021 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, and to travel toward the brain’s motor-control centers, a plausible route for better proprioception and muscle coordination.

For more information visit www.superpatch.com.

Disclosure
The trial was funded by SRYSTY Holding Co. / The Super Patch Company, the patch manufacturer, and conducted at the University of Arizona College of Medicine under independent Institutional Review Board oversight. Clarity Science, LLC coordinated the research program.

About Clarity Science, LLC
Clarity Science, LLC is a contract research organization (CRO) headquartered in Narragansett, Rhode Island. It designs and manages randomized, placebo-controlled clinical studies of non-drug and drug health technologies with academic and clinical partners. Its studies run under independent IRB oversight, and its findings have appeared in peer-reviewed journals. Learn more at claritysciences.org.

Media Contact

Peter Hurwitz
Clarity Science LLC
peterh@claritysciences.org

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