The impacts of Kinesio taping on muscular fatigue and proprioception following fatigue among adolescent basketball players

Abstract

Aim: The present study attempted to investigate the impacts of Kinesio taping on proprioceptive responses of the knee joint before and after muscular fatigue. 
 Material and Method: Thirteen healthy basketball players were recruited for this study. A fatigue protocol was designed with a load of 70% of the maximum quadriceps muscle strength and applied to the dominant lower extremity, including repetitive knee flexion and extension in a sitting position between 0°-90°. Fatigue was assessed using the Borg scale. The protocol was administered to the same participants twice at a one-week interval. Proprioception in the knee joint was assessed using the angle reconstruction test. In the evaluation of proprioception, the target angle was set as 45° of knee flexion and was measured with a digital goniometer. In the second-week measurements, the same protocol was repeated immediately following Kinesio tape application to the quadriceps femoris muscle with the facilitation technique. 
 Results: The findings revealed no significant within-group differences between the proprioception measurements before and after fatigue (p > 0.05). It was also the case in the evaluation with Kinesio taping (p > 0.005). However, the number of movement repetitions significantly differed between the groups in the fatigue protocol (p < 0.05). 
 Conclusion: The proprioception values of pre- and post-fatigue did not significantly differ when Kinesio taping was applied. Overall, it was concluded that Kinesio taping was an effective factor in reducing fatigue and contributed to endurance by delaying the onset of fatigue.