Effect of taping and its conditions on electromyographic responses of knee extensor muscles.

INTRODUCTION: The present study investigated the effect of stretchable characteristics of elastic therapeutic tape and its elongation on surface electromyography (EMG) of knee extensor muscles during knee extension movements.

METHODS: Nine healthy men performed knee extension movement with the application of normal elastic tape or highly stretchable tape and without the tapes (control). Tapes were applied on the anterior thigh to cross the knee joint with no elongation and elongation of 50 and 75% of the maximum stretchability. Surface EMG was recorded from the vastus lateralis (VL) muscle and proximal (RFp) and distal (RFd) sites of the rectus femoris muscle.

RESULTS: Under the no-elongation conditions, decreases in the surface EMG amplitude of the VL and RFd muscles were observed with normal tape during the isometric contraction phase and with highly stretchable tape during isometric and eccentric contraction phases, compared with the control (p < 0.05). There were no significant differences in surface EMG among the different elongation conditions in any muscles (p > 0.05).

DISCUSSION: These results suggest that the stretchable characteristics of tapes change the effect of elastic tape application on neuromuscular activation of the applied muscles and these effects are not dependent on the elongation of the tape.