Kinesio Tape Fails to Affect Characteristics of Skeletal Muscle Recruitment: 2785 Board #68 June 1 3

ORCID

Courtney Jensen: 0000-0001-9774-0694

Document Type

Conference Presentation

Department

Health, Exercise, and Sport Sciences Department

Conference Title

2018 ACSM National Conference

Organization

American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM)

Location

Minneapolis, MN

Conference Dates

May 29 - June 2, 2018

Date of Presentation

May 2018

Journal Publication

Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise

ISSN

1530-0315

DOI

10.1249/01.mss.0000538245.77944.62

Volume

50

Issue

5s

Publication Date

2018-05-01

Abstract

Kinesio Tape (KT) is a popular therapeutic intervention in sports, aimed at optimizing athletic performance and preventing musculoskeletal injury. The manufacturers of KT claim it can alter characteristics of skeletal muscle recruitment, facilitating or inhibiting contraction depending on the nature of its application. Evidence of this claim is conflicted. PURPOSE: To assess the effectiveness of KT in changing recruitment properties of the rectus femoris. METHODS: Twenty college-aged, recreationally-active men and women with no history of injury were enrolled (11 men, 9 women). A Cybex Humac Norm dynamometer measured force output in the dominant leg in 3 taping conditions: 1) No tape applied (control), 2) KT applied to enhance muscle recruitment (facilitation), and 3) KT applied to impair muscle recruitment (inhibition). Subjects were tested on 3 separate days with 48 hours of rest between each; they performed no other exercise prior to and throughout the testing protocol. Subjects performed all 3 trials (control, facilitation, and inhibition) during each testing session, with randomization of the testing order. A certified KT practitioner applied the tape to each subject; subjects were blinded to the orientation of the tape (facilitation vs. inhibition). Mixed-design ANOVA tested differences in taping conditions (and taping conditions by gender) on force output. The between-subjects factor was gender; the within-subjects factor was taping condition. Differences in the within-subjects factor were tested with the Bonferroni post hoc correction. RESULTS: There were no differences between taping conditions (F=0.190; P=0.829) nor effects of treatment group by gender (F=1.634; P=0.226). Post hoc tests using the Bonferroni correction revealed no differences between any two treatment groups (p=1.000 for each comparison). CONCLUSIONS: The application of KT did not elicit changes in muscle recruitment patterns. KT neither facilitates skeletal muscle contraction nor inhibits it based on its application.

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