CClinicalTrials.gg
CompletedNCT04090541Updated Apr 30, 2025

Investigating the Immediate Effects of Kinesio Tape and Biomechanical Tape on Strength and Performance: A Randomized Placebo-Controlled Cross-Over Trial

An interventional study of Rigid Tape and Kinesiology Tape in Sports Physical Therapy and Sports Performance, sponsored by Bahçeşehir University. Completed at 1 site in Turkey. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 24 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2025-04-30.

Sponsored by Bahçeşehir University · Not applicable, Interventional, and Basic science

From the registry’s dates

  • Registered 2 years 9 months after the study started (first participant enrolled Nov 2016, registered Aug 2019).
Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
20
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years to 24 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

There has been an increasing interest in Kinesiology Tape(KT) and Biomechanical Tape(BT) in clinics and athletic competitions. Recently; the performance increasing effect of taping methods on healthy subjects in sports is being investigated.

Read the detailed description

Kinesio Taping (KT) is a technique utilizing a two way elastic tape originally created by Kenzo Kase in the 1970s. KT is a complementary method which is used as an adjunct to major therapy approaches in various musculoskeletal and neurological diseases.4 KT is employed in sports injuries and various health problems; but there is limited scientific evidence evaluating KT effectiveness and the results are inconsistent.5 One of the KT potential benefits is that of raising the range of motion through increasing blood circulation or through stimulation of cutaneous mechanoreceptors and this way it affects fascial tissue.6-8 Biomechanical Taping (BT) is a technique utilizing a four way elastic tape originally created by Ryan Kendrick in the 2010s. BT is a complementary method for supplementing load absorption, force contribution and modifying movement. BT affects tissues and movement in a mechanical way and it is almost a completely different method from KT. Kase's hypothesis is that KT affects fascial tissues and mechanoreseptors, but Kendrick's hypothesis is that BT ,which is applied in shortened position and cross joint segments, will gain potential energy in case of an extremity realized movement with antagonist activity. Then the weak agonist muscle gets activated for repositioning the extremity; this potential energy turns to kinetic energy like a released bow. As a result of kinetic energy, it may support the movement with using passive mechanical strength.9 In this study, the investigators aim to illustrate immediate effects of various taping methods on the performances of healthy subjects. In that way the investigators test hypothesis that different taping methods affect healthy subjects to improve performance. The investigators; investigate strength, active range of motion and vertical jump height as a parameters of performance with No Tape(NT), Sham Tape(ST), KT and BT.

02

Conditions studied

  • Sports Physical Therapy
  • Sports Performance

Keywords

  • Kinesiology Tape
  • Biomechanical Tape
  • Performance
  • Muscle Strength
  • Vertical Jump
03

In context

Lead sponsor

Bahçeşehir University is the lead sponsor of 117 studies on the registry; 22 are open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years to 24 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
Yes

Inclusion criteria

  • 18-24 BMI
  • Physically active according to International Physical Activity Questionnarie (IPAQ)

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Any known systemic diseases or medical condition
  • Sensitive or fragile skin,
  • Allergic diseases
  • Pregnancy or pregnancy suspicion
  • Using of sedative, psychosomatic or analgesic drugs
05

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Basic science
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Crossover assignment
Masking
Single (Participant)
Enrollment
20 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • No intervention
    Control

    Tests were applied with any taping.

  • Sham comparator
    Sham Taping

    In ST stage; medical purpose, hypoallergenic OctaCare® Rigid Transparent Plaster was applied as a rigid tape. This tape is also used under rigid tapes for protecting the skin. In this study investigators didn't prefer extra rigid tape on the plaster because that was very light and less sensitive material to our knowledge so it suited our aim of placebo control.

    Other: Rigid Tape

  • Experimental
    Kinesiology Taping

    In KT stage; the original Kinesio Tex® Tape Classic was applied as a kinesiology tape. In this study, investigators applied the tape with muscle activation technique and paper of tension (it was declared %10) according to Kenzo Kase's Kinesio Taping concept. It was implemented on both bileral Rectus Femoris and Calf muscles with same technique.

    Other: Kinesiology Tape

  • Experimental
    Biomechanical Taping

    In BT stage; Dynamic Tape® was applied as a biomechanical tape. In this study, investigators applied the tape with offload technique and paper of tension according to Ryan Kendrick's Biomechanical Taping concept. It was implemented on both bileral Rectus Femoris and Calf muscles with same technique.

    Other: Biomechanical Tape

Interventions

  • OtherRigid Tape

    Non-Elastic Tape

  • OtherKinesiology Tape

    Tape can be elongate only one direction

  • OtherBiomechanical Tape

    Tape can be elongate only two direction

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Change From Vertical Jump With Each Taping Application

    A fotoelectrical sensor base "Micro Gate Opto Jump Next®, software version 1.10, BFS Vertical Jump protocol with three jumps" was used for quantitative analysis of Counter Movement Vertical Jump (CMVJ). Minimum, maximum and average values of jumping height for all jumps (10) were recorded as canti-meter (cm).

    Time frame: baseline, and immediate effect in a 15 minutes

  2. Change From Muscle Strength With Each Taping Application

    A hand held electronic dynamometer "MicroFet® 2" was used to evaluate isometric bilateral knee extension and ankle dorsal flexion strength.11 Measurements were repeated three times and maximum value of strength was recorded as Kilogram-Force (Kg-F).

    Time frame: baseline, and immediate effect in a 15 minutes

Secondary outcomes

  1. Change From Active Range Of Motion With Each Taping Application

    A wide angle webcam "logitech® c920 full hd pro web cam" that was integrated with opto jump software was used for assessment of active range of motion in front of jumping on image based assessment tool of opto jump software. Acromion, Trochantor major of femur, lateral epicondyle of femur, Lateral Condyle of Tibia and medial malleolus of tibia were marked for the indicator before the jumps. Videos, recorded at the same time with jump and synchronous with jumping values, were used for resolving knee and hip flexion degrees before jump with maximum height and they were assessed with indicators on computer surface on optojump software. Values recorded as degrees (º).

    Time frame: baseline, and immediate effect in a 15 minutes

07

Study locations

1 site
  • Bahçeşehir University
    İstanbul, Beşiktaş 34353, Turkey
08

References and documents

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

No publications or documents are linked to this record.

09

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Apr 30, 2025, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT04090541
Lead sponsor
Bahçeşehir University
Responsible party
Mirsad ALKAN (Principal Investigator, Bahçeşehir University) — Principal investigator
First posted
Sep 16, 2019
Start date
Nov 3, 2016
Primary completion
Jan 12, 2017
Completion
Jan 12, 2017
Last update
Apr 30, 2025

Study contacts

Habibe Serap İnal
principal investigator · Bahçeşehir University
Şebnem Nur Alkan
principal investigator · Bahçeşehir University

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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This study is completed, as verified in Apr 2025. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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