Benefits of sport

What’s that weird tape you always see on Olympians? It’s called KT tape or kinesiology tape, and here’s how to use it on your back.

Whether you’re an athlete or not, kinesiology tape can be a help to your back and several other painful areas. Although experts say that more study is needed, some have pointed to kinesiology’s tape’s benefits. For example, one 2019 study found that elastic taping, as it’s also called, safely relieved knee pain, and reduced the need for pharmacological management in knee osteoarthritis.

If you’ve watched a volleyball game or competitive bicycle race, you’ve probably seen it: strips of colorful tape splayed in patterns across shoulders, knees, backs, and abs. That’s kinesiology tape: a therapeutic tape that’s applied strategically to the body to provide support, lessen pain, reduce swelling, and improve performance. Here’s what we know about how physical therapist and sports therapist use it, its benefits, tips and what to know.

What is Kinesiotaping (taping) therapy?

You may have seen strips of colorful tape across the arms, legs, and other body parts of Olympic athletes to high school players. With the launch of the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar, we’ll be seeing many world-class professional athletes across 32 global teams wearing this tape throughout November and December. The tape is called Kinesiology Tape, and some refer to it simply as KT.

Kinesiology taping (kinesiotaping) is a treatment option if you've had an injury or illness that leads to mobility and motor function problems. It involves placing strips of special tape on your body in specific directions to help support your joints, like a knee, ankle, or wrist, as well as muscles and tendons. It can be used to help facilitate muscle function, stabilize joints, or inhibit muscles from contracting improperly. It can also be used to help decrease pain, swelling, and muscle spasm.

Proteins, which are made up of individual amino acids, serve as your body’s building blocks. They help build everything from muscle to skin, bones, and teeth.

Protein is particularly important for building muscle mass and helping you recover from training. This is due to its role in promoting muscle protein synthesis, the process of building new muscle.

What happens to the body during physical activity?

When we exercise, our bodies use three main sources of fuel: carbohydrates, fat, and protein. Carbohydrates, which are stored in the liver and skeletal muscles in the form of glycogen, provide the most efficient source of energy during exercise. Glycogen can be easily metabolized into glucose, which provides immediate energy to fuel the brain, nervous system, and muscles during exercise.

Ask most athletes to name some key minerals for human performance nutrition and you’ll probably find calcium, iron, zinc and even chromium popping up in their lists. But they are unlikely to mention magnesium. Despite magnesium’s pivotal role in energy production, many coaches and athletes remain unaware of its critical importance in maintaining health and performance.

Magnesium is one of the most abundant essential minerals in your body. It’s primarily stored in the bones of your body. A very small amount of magnesium circulates in your bloodstream.

Magnesium plays a role in over 300 metabolic reactions in your body.