THE EFFECTS OF ANKLE TAPING ON PERFORMANCE AND PERCEPTION OF PERFORMANCE IN HEALTHY SPORTING PARTICIPANTS

K. Crebbin¹, M. Brown¹, M. Constantinou¹

¹Australian Catholic University, School of Allied Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Brisbane, Australia

Background: Ankle taping is commonly used for injury prevention in sport, with evidence to support its use in preventing recurrent ankle sprains. However, it remains unclear whether ankle taping is effective in preventing first time ankle sprains and sprains in previously injured, but fully recovered ankles. Yet, individuals with no previous ankle injury, or completely recovered ankles, often use ankle tape in sport. Due to conflicting evidence, the effect ankle taping has on performance in these healthy individuals is unknown. Additionally, there is very limited research examining the effect of ankle taping on perceptions of performance and the relationship with actual performance.

Purpose: (1) To determine the effect of rigid and elastic ankle taping on athletic performance and ratings of perceived comfort, expectation and performance in a healthy sporting population.
(2) Explore the relationships between participants’ actual performance, with ratings of perceived comfort, expectation and performance.

Methods: A repeated measures cohort study design was used. Sixteen healthy university students, who engaged in weekly sport, participated. Three ankle taping conditions were randomly assigned to each participant: rigid taping (RT), elastic taping (ET) and no-taping (NT). Three physical tests, conducted in the same order measured performance: Y-Balance Test, Vertec Jump Test and a modified Illinois Agility Test. Using an 100mm Visual Analogue Scale, perceptions of comfort and expectation of performance were measured before the physical tests, while perceived performance was measured after. Following 20-minutes of exercise, all perception measures and physical performance tests were repeated.

Results: A linear mixed model analysis showed when compared to NT, both RT and ET had no significant effect on all three physical performance tests. RT had a significant negative effect on perceived comfort (MD=-16.25 MD, 95% CI=-23.821 – -8.679, p = <0.001) and expectation (MD=-9.34, 95% CI=-18.201 – -0.487, p = 0.035) when compared to NT. Both RT and ET had no effect on perceived performance. Additionally, 20-minutes of exercise had no effect on performance or perception ratings when wearing RT or ET. A post hoc power analysis using G*Power was performed to determine the power of the study. A repeated measures ANOVA revealed an effect size f = 0.362. Using an alpha level of 0.01, the calculated Power equalled 0.99.

Conclusions: Rigid and elastic ankle taping appears to have neither a positive nor a negative effect on dynamic balance, vertical jump height or planned agility in a healthy sporting population. Despite RT having a significant negative effect on comfort and expectation of performance, there was no effect on actual performance. Further research investigating the effects of ankle taping on different performance measures, such as reactive agility, will provide a more comprehensive understanding on the effects of ankle taping on performance.

Implications: Physiotherapists involved in sports who implement ankle taping in healthy sporting populations have a better understanding of its effects on performance and perceptions of performance. Healthy individuals who wear ankle taping for injury prevention can be informed that there is no impact on certain performance measures.

Funding acknowledgements: Funding was provided by a student research grant from the Faculty of Health Sciences, Australian Catholic University.

Keywords:
Rigid taping
Elastic taping
Kinesiology taping

Topics:
Sport & sports injuries
Musculoskeletal: lower limb
Musculoskeletal

Did this work require ethics approval? Yes

Institution: Australian Catholic University

Committee: Human Research Ethics Committee

Ethics number: 2020-244H