Kinesiology Sports Tape

Lumbros' research showed that the immediate peak muscle strength of the gastrocnemius muscle significantly increased after taping, while the peak torque of the hamstring muscle taping group showed no immediate changes, suggesting that taping on different muscles may produce different effects. Mohammadi et al. also found similar effects in their study on upper limb muscle strength, with both male and female participants showing increased grip strength after forearm taping, suggesting that taping is an effective method for enhancing grip strength in healthy individuals.

Subsequent studies further confirmed that taping can improve upper limb grip strength and elbow joint concentric peak torque. Regarding the sustained effects of kinesiology tape on muscle strength, Donec et al. found that maximum finger pinch strength did not change after 30 minutes of taping, but maximum finger pinch strength after 1 hour of taping, as well as maximum grip strength after 30 minutes and 1 hour of taping, all increased. Lumbroso's research showed that peak force significantly increased immediately and after 2 days of gastrocnemius taping, while peak force did not change immediately after hamstring taping but significantly increased after 2 days.

Regarding the mechanism by which kinesiology tape increases muscle strength, it is currently believed that it may produce a slight immediate increase in muscle strength by generating a coaxial pull on the tape, thereby promoting increased muscle contraction; there is also a hypothesis that kinesiology tape can promote muscle activity, improve muscle structure, and thereby contribute to a slight increase in muscle strength. For muscle strength decline caused by sports injuries, the possible mechanism of action of kinesiology tape is that pain resulting from sports injuries to some extent limits muscle activity and reduces muscle strength, while kinesiology tape has a noticeable immediate pain-reducing effect, leading to a decline in muscle function restricted by pain.