Hi there, whats up, and welcome to a different episode of Muscle for Life. I’m your host, Mike Matthews. Thanks for becoming a member of me in the present day for a comparatively brief however informative exploration of kinesiology tape. What’s it? What’s it good for? What’s it not good for? And by the way in which, simply so you recognize what the phrase means, kinesiology is just the scientific examine of physique motion, of the mechanics of how the physique strikes.
And the explanation I needed to file this episode is, I haven’t spoken about this in any respect. I believe I’ve written about it over at legionathletics.com over on the weblog, however I’ve not spoken about it. And it’s one thing that I do get requested about, particularly over the past couple of years or so, as a result of as KT Tape, because it’s usually known as, has gained traction in sports activities drugs.
In bodily remedy, it has additionally change into extra prevalent and extra well-liked amongst influencers, notably mobility and suppleness influencers, and influencers who, I suppose you might say, may name themselves train hackers, who promote uncommon, unique kinds of workout routines and train routines as efficient, or simpler than conventional train, and so forth.
And so, as a consequence of all that, we at the moment are seeing increasingly more on a regular basis health people taping themselves up earlier than they work out, or generally after they work out, generally on their lively restoration days, and so forth. And thus, I believed it may be useful to file a fast episode on KT Tape, and to undergo the analysis on its purported advantages, so you’ll be able to perceive whether or not you need to think about mummy wrapping your self.
Okay, so let’s begin with a short definition of phrases right here. What’s kinesiology tape? It’s additionally known as Kinesio tape or KT tape. And it’s merely a robust and stretchy tape, an adhesive tape you could keep on with your physique or keep on with different issues. And it’s used usually in sports activities drugs. It’s utilized in bodily remedy.
It’s normally latex free. It’s normally waterproof. It’s usually produced from cotton and Nylon and in contrast to conventional athletic tapes that are usually thick and restrictive, KT tape is uniquely versatile and so that permits limbs which might be taped up or permits your joints to maneuver by way of a full vary of movement whereas experiencing elevated ranges of stress.
Produced by the taping. Now, what’s that presupposed to do precisely? Why may that be good? Nicely, the commonest idea is that once you stretch the tape and you then apply it to your physique, it exerts a suction like drive that lifts the pores and skin, and it creates area between your pores and skin and the tissues beneath.
And proponents of that idea will say that it produces three advantages. One, it could possibly assist create area in your joints. So making use of the tape to the joints could enhance the area in that joint, which then can stop bones and tendons and different mushy tissues from rubbing collectively and inflicting ache. One other purported profit is that KT taping can enhance circulation and lymphatic drainage.
And by doing these issues, In flip, you’ll be able to expertise lowered swelling and lowered fluid buildup within the taped areas of your physique. And at last, the third profit, uh, at the very least theoretical advantage of KT tape is that it could possibly alter ache indicators. And the way this will likely work is by assuaging the compression that’s brought on by swelling, as a result of swelling compresses receptors in your pores and skin and that then sends indicators to your mind which might be interpreted as ache.
And if you happen to tape some space of your physique, it’s lifting the pores and skin away from the tissues beneath, which might relieve the compression and thereby relieve the ache. And in order that’s mainly how KT tape is meant. to work. However what does the scientific analysis need to say? Nicely, let’s begin with muscle and joint stability.
Widespread claims made to frequent advertising and marketing claims made to promote KT tape. And the thought right here is that the tape is sturdy. It’s stretchy. You place it in your physique in sure methods and that may then assist muscular tissues which might be fatigued. It could actually assist unstable joints, so that they transfer extra effectively and successfully. And there’s some advantage right here.
As an example, in a single examine, researchers discovered that the elasticity of kinesiology tape acted like a rubber band when utilized to runners’ thighs, serving to them keep their stride size when fatigued. You possibly can expertise the same impact. with knee sleeves once you’re squatting, which I typically like to make use of not for this rebound impact, which has been proven in analysis, by the way in which, these sleeves do seem to barely enhance squat efficiency.
And one of many causes might be due to the rebound impact that you just expertise as you might be popping out of the opening, however that’s not. essentially why I put on them. I put on them simply because my knees really feel extra snug all through my exercise after I’m carrying the sleeves. Perhaps there’s a bit little bit of a placebo impact there, however there is also heat.
So the knee sleeves hold your joints, hold your knees heat, and that feels higher once you’re squatting heavy particularly than in case your knees are sort of cooling off in between units. And the sleeves additionally do make my knees simply really feel Extra steady. They really feel rock stable after I’m squatting, particularly after I’m squatting heavy.
And that’s to not say that knee sleeves are important or that squatting heavy with out knee sleeves is harmful and even non optimum. I similar to how my knees really feel finest. when I’m carrying knee sleeves. So I’ll normally put on knee sleeves when I’m coaching my decrease physique. However anyway, coming again to KT tape, the thought right here is comparable in that you’ve got this elastic tape that has some vitality that it absorbs when you find yourself shifting your limbs by way of full ranges of movement.
And that Then can assist the exercise that you just’re doing. On this case, it’s working, however you might have comparable results with different kinds of workout routines. And if we have a look at different research on the matter, we see that Kinesio tape may also help assist injured joints, serving to folks transfer their injured joints extra freely.
And that may then assist them get better quicker as a result of, after all, the primary key to recovering from an damage. is motion is train. It’s not resting and icing and immobilizing and simply ready for the damage to magically disappear. That typically doesn’t work. Generally you do want to use some ice and a few relaxation and a few immobilization, however you wish to get again to exercise as quickly as you’ll be able to.
Now, after all, you don’t wish to get again to actions which might be going to irritate the damage or reactivate the damage. So it’s a must to go about it. However, typically talking, motion is what helps heal, not immobilization. And so then, KT Tape seems to be useful on this regard as a result of it could possibly aid you transfer the injured.
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Okay, subsequent on my listing is proprioception, which is a ten phrase that merely means your physique’s potential to sense its place and its actions with out counting on sight. And that is notably priceless to athletes as a result of, after all, once you’re taking part in sports activities, if you happen to perceive intuitively the place your physique is in area and the way it’s shifting, that may aid you play the game higher.
It could actually aid you stop damage. accidents and a few scientists imagine that the strain and the stretching results of KT tape activate receptors in your pores and skin that then relay motion and place information to the mind and that that may heighten proprioception and thereby enhance efficiency and cut back damage threat.
So mainly, the thought right here is that by taping your physique in sure locations and in sure methods, you might be priming your nervous system to ship this proprioception associated information extra successfully to the mind. And that then may end up in heightened proprioception advantages associated to that. Now, if we have a look at analysis on this, we see blended outcomes.
There’s some proof that means that it does certainly enhance proprioception, after which there’s proof that it doesn’t. So it’s exhausting to say, as a result of the load of the proof is pretty balanced, nonetheless, there’s a sign right here. It does seem to probably enhance proception in some folks, in some circumstances, and so if that’s of any use to you, then it might work.
And it might not, but it surely’s not going to harm. And the claims that it could possibly, that KT Tape can enhance proprioception aren’t wholly unfounded. And I discussed earlier the purported mechanism whereby it could possibly do that, which is pulling the pores and skin away from the tissues beneath, which then can relieve compression, which might ship indicators to the mind which might be interpreted as ache.
And if we have a look at analysis on this idea. It’s additionally blended. It’s conflicting. Some research present that KT tape does seem to have a optimistic impact on ache and others present that it gives no benefits. Nonetheless, there’s no analysis to counsel that it has any unfavourable results by way of ache. It’s not going to make ache worse.
It seems to have the ability to both make ache higher to mitigate ache or haven’t any impact by any means. Now, one attainable clarification for this contradiction within the analysis is that KT tape might be able to relieve ache in some muscular tissues and joints, however not others. So, for instance, research present that KT tape can alleviate ache brought on by neck, entice, and knee accidents or delayed onset muscle soreness, DOMS, submit exercise muscle soreness.
Nonetheless, its effectiveness for decreasing ache is much less constant. for decrease again issues. And so then in case you are coping with ache involving your neck, involving your higher again, involving your knees, probably your elbows and different joints, or in case you are perhaps an athlete and it’s a must to do a whole lot of coaching, a lot in order that DOMS is, is only a downside you’re all the time coping with.
Perhaps it’s a must to do two days for an prolonged time frame. Or perhaps it’s a must to do a good quantity of intense weightlifting and intense apply in your sport. Once more, you might be experiencing fairly extreme quantities of muscle soreness. Then KT taping might be able to assist. All proper, subsequent is swelling, which is expounded to ache for causes I’ve already defined, however I needed to make a separate notice of it as a result of numerous research have checked out swelling particularly and nearly all of the analysis reveals that KT tape does seem like helpful on this regard, that it does seem to have the ability to There’s a whole lot of stuff that you are able to do to cut back swelling and in order that helps clarify why it additionally seems to have the ability to assist alleviate ache.
So if you happen to’re coping with swelling of areas of your physique, perhaps it’s not a lot ache, but it surely’s swelling, KT Tape ought to have the ability to assist. Now, let’s discuss power, which is one other one of many huge sizzling advertising and marketing buttons used to promote KT tape. There’s a idea that by taping your physique, you’ll be able to pull on the fascia, which is the skinny casing of connective tissue that’s surrounding the muscular tissues in your physique.
And if you happen to do this, you’ll be able to enhance your physique’s potential to contract the muscle beneath. And that, after all, then will. enhance your power will enhance your muscular efficiency. And in order that’s a idea that some scientists imagine. Nonetheless, the load of the proof doesn’t assist it, sadly, at the very least it presently doesn’t.
So if you happen to have a look at analysis accomplished on KT tape with folks with muscle fatigue and continual musculoskeletal illnesses, we see that there’s some proof of efficacy. There’s some proof. that it could possibly enhance power in these folks, however there are different research that present that it doesn’t enhance power in these folks.
And extra importantly, if we have a look at the analysis that has been accomplished with people who find themselves wholesome, who don’t have any musculoskeletal issues, we see that KT tape doesn’t seem to enhance power. And so. If in case you have wholesome muscular tissues, it’s virtually actually not going that can assist you bench, squat, or deadlift extra weight.
Now, what about flexibility? Can KT tape aid you enhance your flexibility? Nicely, research which have been accomplished on folks with sports activities accidents or situations like osteoarthritis, cerebral palsy, whiplash, and shoulder ache usually have proven that taping can promote flexibility. It could actually aid you transfer these affected.
joints and muscular tissues by way of longer ranges of movement. As I discussed earlier. Now, the way it achieves that is unclear, however consultants have proposed two theories. One is by enhancing blood movement to the affected areas, which might velocity up restoration. And two is by enhancing proprioception, which might cut back the worry of shifting an injured joint or muscle.
And it additionally may also help your mind permit you to transfer the injured joint or muscle. Which, by the way in which, is what is basically taking place when you find yourself enhancing your physique’s flexibility. You might be truly coaching your mind to permit you to transfer your limbs by way of these fuller ranges of movement. Anyway, coming again to flexibility, sadly, virtually all the analysis that has been accomplished on KT Tape and suppleness has been accomplished with individuals who have very extreme well being points, not wholesome folks.
And so, in case you are a wholesome particular person with a effectively functioning physique, it’s unclear Whether or not KT Tape can enhance flexibility, it might, it might not. It’s not going to harm although. So if that’s a motive so that you can think about KT Tape, if that could be a profit that you’re after, strive it out and see the way it goes. Now what about athletic efficiency?
Can KT Tape alone make you higher at your sport? Can it aid you carry out higher at some sporting exercise? Individuals who Cell KT tape usually say sure, as a result of it’s going to enhance your physique consciousness and it’s going to assist your joints and muscular tissues. And whereas, as we’ve got mentioned, there’s proof to assist a few of these claims individually, a analysis evaluation carried out by scientists on the College of Mississippi Medical Middle discovered no compelling proof that kinesiology tape enhances sports activities Efficiency and whereas the analysis out there to the scientists on this level for them to evaluation is proscribed and perhaps the subject may gain advantage from extra analysis on extra particular nuanced questions on how KT tape might be able to enhance very particular features of athletic efficiency or particular features beneath particular circumstances.
The burden of the proof that we’ve got says in all probability not going to assist in any significant manner. And this is a vital instance of understanding that simply because there’s proof to assist the person parts of a idea, that doesn’t imply that the speculation is true. That doesn’t imply that the proof helps the speculation.
And so on this case, whereas there’s analysis to indicate that KT tape can assist the muscular tissues, can assist the joints, can improve proprioception, and whereas it’s affordable to theorize that these issues may enhance athletic efficiency, that’s nonetheless only a idea till confirmed. And to date, the proof means that it’s an incorrect idea.
Okay, lastly, I want to touch upon damage prevention. That is well-liked with athletes particularly who’re prepared to strive absolutely anything to cut back the chance of damage, which is comprehensible. And whereas once more, the speculation of how KT tape might be able to cut back the chance of damage is believable, supporting muscular tissues, supporting joints, enhancing proprioception.
As soon as once more, a scientific evaluation of analysis by way of that lens means that it doesn’t. Particularly, a meta-analysis that was revealed within the journal Sports activities Medication discovered that kinesiology tape is ineffective at stopping accidents. Now, regardless of that, some consultants do keep that KT tape does seem to cut back the chance of damage in some folks, in some circumstances, and that could be true, but it surely seems to be typically ineffective on this regard, and in order that’s necessary to grasp.
If you’ll use KT tape, uh, in hopes of decreasing the chance of damage, uh, it could be a mistake to suppose that you’re much less prone to be injured as a result of you’ve got tape in your physique after which due to that, be extra inclined to do extra excessive issues in your coaching. Issues that can Increase the chance of damage much more than any attainable mitigating impact that’s offered by the KT tape.
And I’ve seen that mistake many instances through the years with weightlifting belts particularly. I’ve seen many, many individuals, normally guys, carrying a weightlifting belt, pondering that merely carrying the weightlifting belt goes to tremendously cut back the chance of damage. After which Squatting and deadlifting, generally overhead urgent, however normally squatting and deadlifting manner an excessive amount of weight, far more weight than they’ll correctly deal with, which after all dramatically will increase the chance of damage, no matter whether or not you might be carrying a belt or not.
The truth is, analysis reveals that even when it’s used correctly, a weightlifting belt doesn’t cut back the chance of damage practically as a lot as improved efficiency. That’s primarily what it’s doing when it’s used correctly. It could actually enhance your efficiency, notably on the squat, on the deadlift, on the overhead press, however it’s not going to cut back your threat of damage.
You cut back your threat of damage by utilizing correct type and acceptable hundreds. And if you wish to be taught extra about that particularly, weightlifting belts, how they work, tips on how to use them correctly, when to make use of them, when to not use them, head over to legionathletics.com, seek for weightlifting belt, two phrases, and also you’ll discover an article that I wrote on it.
Okay, so coming again to KT Tape, we do see that it It has some utility in case you are coaching lots and you might be coping with a whole lot of muscle soreness, a whole lot of muscle fatigue. If you’re injured and also you wish to enhance the soundness of your joints, if you wish to improve proprioception, perhaps since you are coaching for a sport and customarily talking higher proprioception is best for sports activities than worse proprioception, particularly when you find yourself studying the.
Difficult actions concerned in lots of sports activities, if you happen to’re coping with ache once more, notably ache that’s brought on by your neck or your higher again muscular tissues or ache in your knees, if you happen to’re coping with swelling, if you wish to enhance flexibility, though, as we bear in mind, that one is unsure, however attainable, these are all legitimate Causes to at the very least strive KT taping as a result of it’s simple to do it’s cheap and it’s not going to harm The worst case situation is it simply doesn’t do something, but it surely’s not going to harm now as for tips on how to do it I may discuss that however Seeing it’s going to aid you much more.
So head over to YouTube and take a look at the channel KT Tape movies. That’s a terrific useful resource for studying tips on how to KT Tape all the assorted components of your physique for varied causes. In order that they have movies by muscle group. They’ve movies by areas of the physique. So perhaps the highest of your foot, for instance, they’ve movies for joints.
So perhaps your hip or your SI joint or your thumb joint. In addition they have movies for sure situations like tennis elbow. Nice useful resource. Once more, KT Tape movies. And I’m not being paid by them to say that. I’ve by no means even spoken to them. I similar to their movies. Nicely, I hope you appreciated this episode. I hope you discovered it useful.
And if you happen to did subscribe to the present as a result of it makes certain that you just don’t miss new episodes and it additionally helps me. as a result of it will increase the rankings of the present a bit bit which after all then makes it a bit bit extra simply discovered by different individuals who could prefer it simply as a lot as you and if you happen to didn’t like one thing about this episode or in regards to the present basically or you probably have Uh, concepts or recommendations or simply suggestions to share, shoot me an e mail, [email protected] muscle F O R life.com and let me know what I may do higher or simply, uh, what your ideas are about perhaps what you’d wish to see me do sooner or later. I learn every part myself. I’m all the time searching for new concepts and constructive suggestions. So thanks once more for listening to this episode and I hope to listen to from you quickly.
