'We need to do more and larger studies to see if the Guardian Cap has any impact,' said Camarillo, the senior author of the study. In 2022, the National Football League began requiring players of certain positions to wear the new cap during training camp practices.ĭoes it help? According to Camarillo and his colleagues' research, published in Annals of Biomedical Engineering on March 14, if it provides a benefit, it's probably not substantial for the majority of hits players sustain. A new product similar to the padded cover Camarillo used to wear is on the market now called the Guardian Cap, it's in vogue from high school fields to pro stadiums. To protect players, sports equipment companies are constantly improving helmets. 'The migraines were pretty painful,' he said.įootball players particularly are prone to chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a type of cognitive and mental decline caused by the head pounding they repeatedly receive on the field. He started wearing a padded cover attached to the outside of his helmet, hoping it would soften the blows. As a former football player at Aptos High School in California and Princeton University, David Camarillo, PhD, an associate professor of bioengineering, experienced migraines from the head-banging the sport is known for.

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