title: Kinesio taping and the circulation and endurance ratio of the gastrocnemius muscle.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Kinesio Tex tape is a therapeutic tape that is applied with the Kinesio-taping (KT) method and is theorized to increase circulation and subsequently improve muscle function. However, little research has been conducted to determine how KT affects performance.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine the effect of KT on muscular endurance ratio, blood flow, circumference, and volume of the gastrocnemius muscle.
  
  
  METHODS
  Randomized controlled clinical trial.
  
  
  METHODS
  Research laboratory.  Patients  or Other Participants: Sixty-one healthy, active people (23 men, 38 women; age = 19.99 ± 8.01 years, height = 169.42 ± 23.62 cm, mass = 71.53 ± 36.77 kg) volunteered to participate. They were assigned randomly to 1 of 3 groups:  treatment KT, sham KT, and control.
  
  
  METHODS
  Tape was applied based on group assignment. The treatment KT group received the ankle-tape technique as described in the KT manual. The sham KT group received 1 strip of Kinesio Tex tape around the circumference of the  proximal gastrocnemius muscle. The control group did not receive tape application.
  
  
  METHODS
  The dependent variables were blood flow in blood perfusion units, volume of water displacement in milliliters, circumference of the gastrocnemius  muscle in centimeters, and endurance ratio in joules measured before, 24 hours after, and 72 hours after the intervention. Separate repeated-measures analyses of variance were conducted for each dependent variable.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found no group-by-test day interaction for endurance  ratios (F(4,116) = 1.99, P = .10). Blood flow, circumference, and volume measurements also yielded no differences among groups (F(2,58) range, 0.02-0.51; P > .05) or test days (F(2,116) range, 0.05-2.33; P  > .05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We found KT does not enhance anaerobic muscle function measured by endurance ratio. The KT also did not affect circulation or volume of the gastrocnemius muscle in a healthy population.
authors.affiliation: Cedarville University, OH, USA.
authors.forename: Hannah L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Stedge
authors.forename: Ryan M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Kroskie
authors.forename: Carrie L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Docherty
mesh_terms: D055052:Athletic Tape; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000502:physiology*; D009142:Musculoskeletal Physiological Phenomena; D059408:Pain Management; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010807:Physical Endurance; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular; D012039:Regional Blood Flow; D055815:Young Adult