Kinesio Tape: Effect on Force Output

ORCID

Courtney Jensen: 0000-0001-9774-0694

Document Type

Poster

Department

Health, Exercise, and Sport Sciences Department

Conference Title

31st Annual National Council on Undergraduate Research Conference

Location

Memphis, TN

Conference Dates

April 6-8, 2017

Date of Presentation

4-6-2017

Abstract

Kinesio Tape (KT) is an increasingly used therapeutic intervention in sports, aimed at optimizing athletic performance and preventing injury (Moore, 2012). Aarseth and colleagues (2015) define Kinesio Tape as a specialized elastic tape that enhances range of motion by resembling the elasticity of skeletal muscle. The purpose of this experiment is to investigate whether KT affects skeletal muscle function and the magnitude of effect. We will use a Cybex Humac Norm dynamometer system to compare the force output of the dominant leg in three different conditions: 1) A KT application that purportedly inhibits muscle recruitment, 2) a KT application that purportedly facilitates muscle recruitment, and 3) no KT. Additionally, two surface electromyography (EMG) electrodes will be placed on the subject’s skin over the rectus femoris muscle to record the electrical activity produced under the three conditions. The KT will be applied by a Certified Kinesio Taping Practitioner. The order of trials will be randomly assigned. A mixed-design analysis of variance will test differences in gender and experimental conditions on force output. Subjects will be recruited by questionnaires distributed on a northern California university campus. Twelve men and twelve women will be enrolled in the study. Inclusion criteria are age (18-24) and a recreationally active lifestyle as defined by the American College of Sports Medicine; the exclusion criterion is a history of injury that could limit participation in the testing protocol. Each subject will serve as his or her own control. We anticipate finding the null hypothesis, that there is no statistical difference between KT trials designed to facilitate and inhibit muscle activation.

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