Kinesio tape

[Valiant]

Kinesio tape, developed by a Japanese doctor over 30 years ago, is much more than just a fashion statement -- though athletes like German beach volleyball player Katrin Holtwick use it for both. It takes a special certification just to be licensed to apply it and once on, it separates the upper layer of the skin from muscle tissue. This extra space allows for muscles to fire and recover more quickly.

If that's true then why is it allowed in the Olympics?

[rafletcher]

Cos it's all bullshit? Or cos it's not (yet) prohibited? Take yr pick.

[tiermat]

Sounds like snake oil to me.

[Jacomus]

The part about lifting the skin is bullshit - think of the physics, it is impossible to pull the skin away from the muscles by pulling on only the skin.

What kinesio tape actually is, is a very strong, very smooth tape with a nifty heat-activated glue - i.e. support strapping that takes up the smallest amount of skin space possible and adds only very small bulk.

[clarion]

It's just expensive nonsense.

[Gus]

I've used when I had Achilles tendon problems.
I was taped so I couldn't overstretch the tendons, it worked well but the rest is of the positive claims
is just pure mind over matter. If you believe it, it works, like all other placebos .

[Tim Hall]

It's just expensive nonsense.

The Olympics or the tape? Or both?

[Tigerrr]

Its harnessing the proven power of placebo. As such it works.

[Jacomus]

It's just expensive nonsense.

Do you mean to say that all strapping is nonsense, or that this tape is?

[hubner]

It's just expensive nonsense.

The Olympics or the tape? Or both?

 

it separates the upper layer of the skin from muscle tissue

 

[Jakob]

 I was introduced to it 4 years ago, by a Japanese sports massage therapist and I call it magic tape.
Something hurts and you put some kinesio tape on it and viola!..it stops hurting. Pure magic.

I understand (roughly) the science behind it, but there's no way it should work as well as it does.

What kinesio tape actually is, is a very strong, very smooth tape with a nifty heat-activated glue - i.e. support strapping that takes up the smallest amount of skin space possible and adds only very small bulk.

Kinesio tape is not a support tape. You use it quite differently than you would with a standard elastic support tape. I have other EST that is much stronger than kinesio tape, that I use when I need support.

It's put on with very little tension, usually along the direction of the muscle/tendon.  I think the small level of relaxation in the skin encourages whatever is underneath to relax, allowing more blood, promoting quicker healing.

No, it won't 'fix' issues, but it's amazing for low/medium level pain and that alone can be enough to push your body on the right track for recovery.

[pcolbeck]

Is it not the London 2012 version of the Beijing 2008 power balance sports wristbands ?

[David Martin]

No. Kinesio tape does something. Not much and nobody quite knows how, but it does something.

[Jaded]

Is it not the London 2012 version of the Beijing 2008 power balance sports wristbands ?

It's more like the nose openers, I think.

[Efrogwr]

Is it not the London 2012 version of the Beijing 2008 power balance sports wristbands ?

It's more like the nose openers, I think.

Whatever happened to them? I realised the other day that I haven't seen any for ages.

[spesh]

Is it not the London 2012 version of the Beijing 2008 power balance sports wristbands ?

It's more like the nose openers, I think.

Whatever happened to them? I realised the other day that I haven't seen any for ages.

Still available, and after going through a couple of photo galleries of this year's TdF, I'd say that quite a few pro cyclists are using them - some all the time, others just for specific stages. Wiggins was wearing one in the second ITT, and David Millar uses them a lot of the time.

[Biff]

Meh, real men use duct tape, with extra marks for being 'ard if you have hairy legs.