Effect of Kinesiotaping in Different Directions on Muscle Endurance in Healthy Individuals

Purpose: The study was conducted to investigate the effects of different Kinesio taping directions applied at biceps brachii muscle on dynamic muscle endurance. Method: This randomized, controlled, double-blind and crossover study was implemented on 27 healthy male subjects with a mean age of 21.63± 2.00 years. In the first attendance, the demographic and personal information of the volunteers were obtained and 1 maximum repetition (1-MT) and muscle strength were found. Muscle endurance was evaluated in the second session, which was made one week later. A maximum repeat and muscle endurance was performed in the elbow flexion exercise position. Following this second evaluation facilitation, inhibition, and sham tapings were applied to all the 27 subjects' dominant biceps brachii muscle who were randomly assigned into 3 groups sequentially with an interval of two days. Muscle endurance was evaluated with the same method half-hour after the tape was applied. Differences between applications were analyzed by repeated-measures ANOVA. Results: Among the three different Kinesio taping directions sham taping caused the highest and inhibition taping caused the lowest increase compared to no taping (p<0.05). Independent from the direction of application results of the consecutive applications were significantly different (p<0.05). However, there was no difference between the three taping directions (p>0.05). Discussion: Results of the current study show that Kinesio taping increased the endurance of M. Biceps Brachii in healthy individuals, however, this increase was not affected by the application direction of the tape.