Hiya, good day, and welcome to a different episode of Muscle for Life. I’m your host, Mike Matthews. Thanks for becoming a member of me right now 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 realize what the phrase means, kinesiology is just the scientific examine of physique motion, of the mechanics of how the physique strikes.
And the rationale I needed to file this episode is, I haven’t spoken about this in any respect. I feel 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 typically known as, has gained traction in sports activities medication.
In bodily remedy, it has additionally develop into extra prevalent and extra in style amongst influencers, notably mobility and adaptability influencers, and influencers who, I assume you can say, may name themselves train hackers, who promote uncommon, unique forms of workout routines and train routines as efficient, or more practical than conventional train, and so forth.
And so, as a consequence of all that, we are actually seeing an increasing number of on a regular basis health people taping themselves up earlier than they work out, or typically after they work out, typically on their energetic restoration days, and so forth. And thus, I assumed it could be useful to file a fast episode on KT Tape, and to undergo the analysis on its purported advantages, so you may perceive whether or not you need to take into account 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 powerful and stretchy tape, an adhesive tape you can stick with your physique or stick with different issues. And it’s used sometimes in sports activities medication. It’s utilized in bodily remedy.
It’s normally latex free. It’s normally waterproof. It’s typically constructed from cotton and Nylon and in contrast to conventional athletic tapes that are typically 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 a full vary of movement whereas experiencing elevated ranges of pressure.
Produced by the taping. Now, what’s that imagined to do precisely? Why may that be good? Properly, the most typical principle is that if you stretch the tape and you then apply it to your physique, it exerts a suction like pressure that lifts the pores and skin, and it creates house between your pores and skin and the tissues beneath.
And proponents of that principle will say that it produces three advantages. One, it may well assist create house in your joints. So making use of the tape to the joints could enhance the house in that joint, which then can forestall bones and tendons and different delicate 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 may expertise lowered swelling and lowered fluid buildup within the taped areas of your physique. And at last, the third profit, uh, no less than theoretical good thing about KT tape is that it may well alter ache indicators. And the way this may increasingly work is by assuaging the compression that’s attributable to 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 in case you 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 principally how KT tape is meant. to work. However what does the scientific analysis should say? Properly, let’s begin with muscle and joint stability.
Frequent claims made to widespread advertising and marketing claims made to promote KT tape. And the thought right here is that the tape is sturdy. It’s stretchy. You set it in your physique in sure methods and that may then assist muscle groups which might be fatigued. It will possibly assist unstable joints, so that they transfer extra effectively and successfully. And there may be some advantage right here.
As an illustration, 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 may expertise the same impact. with knee sleeves if 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’re 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 sporting the sleeves. Perhaps there’s slightly little bit of a placebo impact there, however there is also heat.
So the knee sleeves preserve your joints, preserve your knees heat, and that feels higher if you’re squatting heavy specifically 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 greatest. when I’m sporting 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 analogous in that you’ve got this elastic tape that has some power that it absorbs if you find yourself transferring your limbs by full ranges of movement.
And that Then can assist the exercise that you just’re doing. On this case, it’s operating, however you can have related results with different forms of workout routines. And if we have a look at different research on the matter, we see that Kinesio tape may help assist injured joints, serving to folks transfer their injured joints extra freely.
And that may then assist them recuperate sooner as a result of, in fact, 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. Typically 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 may.
Now, in fact, you don’t wish to get again to actions which might be going to worsen 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 may well show you how to transfer the injured.
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Okay, subsequent on my checklist is proprioception, which is a ten phrase that merely means your physique’s capability to sense its place and its actions with out counting on sight. And that is notably helpful to athletes as a result of, in fact, if you’re taking part in sports activities, in case you perceive intuitively the place your physique is in house and the way it’s transferring, that may show you how to play the game higher.
It will possibly show you how to forestall damage. accidents and a few scientists consider that the stress 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 scale back damage danger.
So principally, the thought right here is that by taping your physique in sure locations and in sure methods, you’re 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 implies that it does certainly enhance proprioception, after which there’s proof that it doesn’t. So it’s onerous to say, as a result of the burden 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, however it’s not going to harm. And the claims that it may well, that KT Tape can enhance proprioception should not wholly unfounded. And I discussed earlier the purported mechanism whereby it may well 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 principle. It’s additionally blended. It’s conflicting. Some research present that KT tape does seem to have a constructive impact on ache and others present that it gives no benefits. Nevertheless, there’s no analysis to counsel that it has any detrimental results when it comes to ache. It’s not going to make ache worse.
It seems to have the ability to both make ache higher to mitigate ache or don’t have any impact in anyway. Now, one doable clarification for this contradiction within the analysis is that KT tape could possibly relieve ache in some muscle groups and joints, however not others. So, for instance, research present that KT tape can alleviate ache attributable to neck, entice, and knee accidents or delayed onset muscle soreness, DOMS, submit exercise muscle soreness.
Nevertheless, its effectiveness for decreasing ache is much less constant. for decrease again issues. And so then if you’re coping with ache involving your neck, involving your higher again, involving your knees, probably your elbows and different joints, or if you’re perhaps an athlete and it’s a must to do quite a lot of coaching, a lot in order that DOMS is, is only a drawback you’re at all times 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 follow in your sport. Once more, you’re experiencing slightly extreme quantities of muscle soreness. Then KT taping could possibly assist. All proper, subsequent is swelling, which is expounded to ache for causes I’ve already defined, however I needed to make a separate word of it as a result of various research have checked out swelling specifically and the vast majority of the analysis exhibits that KT tape does seem like helpful on this regard, that it does seem to have the ability to There’s quite a 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 in case you’re coping with swelling of areas of your physique, perhaps it’s not a lot ache, however it’s swelling, KT Tape ought to be capable to assist. Now, let’s discuss energy, which is one other one of many massive scorching advertising and marketing buttons used to promote KT tape. There’s a principle that by taping your physique, you may pull on the fascia, which is the skinny casing of connective tissue that’s surrounding the muscle groups in your physique.
And in case you try this, you may enhance your physique’s capability to contract the muscle beneath. And that, in fact, then will. enhance your energy will enhance your muscular efficiency. And in order that’s a principle that some scientists consider. Nevertheless, the burden of the proof doesn’t assist it, sadly, no less than it at the moment doesn’t.
So in case you have a look at analysis completed on KT tape with folks with muscle fatigue and continual musculoskeletal ailments, we see that there’s some proof of efficacy. There’s some proof. that it may well enhance energy in these folks, however there are different research that present that it doesn’t enhance energy in these folks.
And extra importantly, if we have a look at the analysis that has been completed with people who find themselves wholesome, who don’t have any musculoskeletal issues, we see that KT tape doesn’t seem to enhance energy. And so. If in case you have wholesome muscle groups, it’s virtually actually not going that will help you bench, squat, or deadlift extra weight.
Now, what about flexibility? Can KT tape show you how to enhance your flexibility? Properly, research which have been completed on folks with sports activities accidents or situations like osteoarthritis, cerebral palsy, whiplash, and shoulder ache sometimes have proven that taping can promote flexibility. It will possibly show you how to transfer these affected.
joints and muscle groups by 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 bettering blood move to the affected areas, which might velocity up restoration. And two is by bettering proprioception, which might scale back the concern of transferring an injured joint or muscle.
And it additionally may help your mind assist you to transfer the injured joint or muscle. Which, by the way in which, is what is admittedly taking place if you find yourself bettering your physique’s flexibility. You’re really coaching your mind to assist you to transfer your limbs by these fuller ranges of movement. Anyway, coming again to flexibility, sadly, virtually all the analysis that has been completed on KT Tape and adaptability has been completed with individuals who have very extreme well being points, not wholesome folks.
And so, if you’re a wholesome individual with a properly 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 purpose so that you can take into account KT Tape, if that may 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 show you how to carry out higher at some sporting exercise? Individuals who Cell KT tape typically say sure, as a result of it’s going to enhance your physique consciousness and it’s going to assist your joints and muscle groups. And whereas, as we’ve got mentioned, there may be proof to assist a few of these claims individually, a analysis assessment performed by scientists on the College of Mississippi Medical Middle discovered no compelling proof that kinesiology tape enhances sports activities Efficiency and whereas the analysis obtainable to the scientists on this level for them to assessment is proscribed and perhaps the subject may benefit from extra analysis on extra particular nuanced questions on how KT tape could possibly enhance very particular points of athletic efficiency or particular points underneath particular circumstances.
The load of the proof that we’ve got says most likely not going to assist in any significant means. And this is a vital instance of understanding that simply because there’s proof to assist the person parts of a principle, 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 point out that KT tape can assist the muscle groups, can assist the joints, can improve proprioception, and whereas it’s cheap to theorize that these issues may enhance athletic efficiency, that’s nonetheless only a principle till confirmed. And up to now, the proof means that it’s an incorrect principle.
Okay, lastly, I want to touch upon damage prevention. That is in style with athletes specifically who’re keen to strive absolutely anything to cut back the chance of damage, which is comprehensible. And whereas once more, the speculation of how KT tape could possibly scale back the chance of damage is believable, supporting muscle groups, supporting joints, bettering proprioception.
As soon as once more, a scientific assessment of analysis by that lens means that it doesn’t. Particularly, a meta-analysis that was printed within the journal Sports activities Drugs 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 instances, and which may be true, however it seems to be typically ineffective on this regard, and in order that’s essential to know.
If you’ll use KT tape, uh, in hopes of decreasing the chance of damage, uh, it might be a mistake to assume that you’re much less prone to be injured as a result of you will have 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 doable mitigating impact that’s offered by the KT tape.
And I’ve seen that mistake many occasions through the years with weightlifting belts specifically. I’ve seen many, many individuals, normally guys, sporting a weightlifting belt, considering that merely sporting the weightlifting belt goes to significantly scale back the chance of damage. After which Squatting and deadlifting, typically overhead urgent, however normally squatting and deadlifting means an excessive amount of weight, far more weight than they’ll correctly deal with, which in fact dramatically will increase the chance of damage, no matter whether or not you’re sporting a belt or not.
The truth is, analysis exhibits that even when it’s used correctly, a weightlifting belt doesn’t scale 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 will possibly enhance your efficiency, notably on the squat, on the deadlift, on the overhead press, however it’s not going to cut back your danger of damage.
You scale back your danger of damage through the use of correct kind and applicable masses. And if you wish to be taught extra about that specifically, weightlifting belts, how they work, how you can 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 if you’re coaching lots and you’re coping with quite a lot of muscle soreness, quite a 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 healthier for sports activities than worse proprioception, particularly if you find yourself studying the.
Difficult actions concerned in lots of sports activities, in case you’re coping with ache once more, notably ache that’s attributable to your neck or your higher again muscle groups or ache in your knees, in case you’re coping with swelling, if you wish to enhance flexibility, though, as we keep in mind, that one is unsure, however doable, these are all legitimate Causes to no less than 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, however it’s not going to harm now as for how you can do it I may discuss that however Seeing it’ll show you how to much more.
So head over to YouTube and take a look at the channel KT Tape movies. That’s an incredible useful resource for studying how you can KT Tape all the assorted components of your physique for numerous causes. So 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. Properly, I hope you appreciated this episode. I hope you discovered it useful.
And in case you did subscribe to the present as a result of it makes positive 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 slightly bit which in fact then makes it slightly bit extra simply discovered by different individuals who could prefer it simply as a lot as you and in case you didn’t like one thing about this episode or concerning the present usually or when you have Uh, concepts or options 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 all the things myself. I’m at all times on the lookout for new concepts and constructive suggestions. So thanks once more for listening to this episode and I hope to listen to from you quickly.