title: Kinesiology Taping does not Modify Electromyographic Activity or Muscle Flexibility of Quadriceps Femoris Muscle: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Pilot Study in Healthy Volleyball Players.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Kinesiology taping (KT) is a popular method of supporting professional athletes during sports activities, traumatic injury prevention, and physiotherapeutic procedures after a wide range of musculoskeletal injuries. The effectiveness of KT in muscle strength and motor units recruitment is still uncertain. The objective of this study was to assess the effect of KT on surface electromyographic (sEMG) activity and muscle flexibility of the rectus femoris (RF), vastus lateralis (VL), and vastus medialis (VM) muscles in healthy volleyball players.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-two healthy volleyball players (8 men and 14 women) were included in the study and randomly assigned to 2 comparative groups: "kinesiology taping" (KT; n=12; age: 22.30 ± 1.88 years; BMI: 22.19 ± 4.00 kg/m(2)) in which KT application over the RF muscle was used, and "placebo taping" (PT; n=10; age: 21.50 ± 2.07 years; BMI: 22.74 ± 2.67 kg/m(2)) in which adhesive nonelastic tape over the same muscle was used. All subjects were analyzed for resting sEMG activity of the VL and VM muscles, resting and functional sEMG activity of RF muscle, and muscle flexibility of RF muscle.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No significant differences in muscle flexibility of the RF muscle and sEMG activity of the RF, VL, and VM muscles were registered before and after interventions in both groups, and between the KT and PT groups (p>0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results show that application of the KT to the RF muscle is not useful to improve sEMG activity.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Physiotherapy, Public Higher Medical Professional School in Opole, Opole, Poland.
authors.forename: Tomasz
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Halski
authors.affiliation: Department of Nervous System Diseases, University of Medicine in Wrocław, Wrocław, Poland.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dymarek
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University of Medicine in Wrocław, Wrocław, Poland.
authors.forename: Kuba
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ptaszkowski
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiotherapy, University of Medicine in Wrocław, Wrocław, Poland.
authors.forename: Lucyna
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Słupska
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiotherapy, University of Medicine in Wrocław, Wrocław, Poland.
authors.forename: Katarzyna
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Rajfur
authors.affiliation: Institute of Physiotherapy, Public Higher Medical Professional School in Opole, Opole, Poland.
authors.forename: Joanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rajfur
authors.affiliation: Institute of Physiotherapy, Public Higher Medical Professional School in Opole, Opole, Poland.
authors.forename: Małgorzata
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pasternok
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiotherapy Basics, Academy School of Physical Education in Katowice, Katowice, Poland.
authors.forename: Agnieszka
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Smykla
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiotherapy Basics, Academy School of Physical Education in Katowice, Katowice, Poland.
authors.forename: Jakub
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Taradaj
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004576:Electromyography; D005260:Female; D064368:Healthy Volunteers; D006801:Humans; D018953:Kinesiology, Applied; D008297:Male; D010919:Placebos; D011446:Prospective Studies; D052097:Quadriceps Muscle / Q000502:physiology*; D054798:Volleyball; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D010919:Placebos