1. Physiological, kinematic, and electromyographic responses to kinesiology-type patella tape in elite cyclists
- Author
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Ngieng Siew Yin, Kim Hébert-Losier, Chris Chow Li Tee, Jim Richards, and C. Martyn Beaven
- Subjects
Adult ,Male ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Vastus medialis ,medicine.medical_treatment ,Biophysics ,Neuroscience (miscellaneous) ,Electromyography ,Athletic Performance ,Biceps ,03 medical and health sciences ,Oxygen Consumption ,0302 clinical medicine ,Physical medicine and rehabilitation ,Heart Rate ,Heart rate ,Humans ,Medicine ,Muscle, Skeletal ,Rehabilitation ,Kinesiology ,medicine.diagnostic_test ,business.industry ,Biomechanics ,Patella ,030229 sport sciences ,C600 ,Athletic Tape ,Bicycling ,Biomechanical Phenomena ,Neurology (clinical) ,business ,human activities ,030217 neurology & neurosurgery ,Muscle Contraction - Abstract
Kinesiology-type tape (KTT) has become popular in sports for injury prevention, rehabilitation, and performance enhancement. Many cyclists use patella KTT; however, its benefits remain unclear, especially in uninjured elite cyclists. We used an integrated approach to investigate acute physiological, kinematic, and electromyographic responses to patella KTT in twelve national-level male cyclists. Cyclists completed four, 4-minute submaximal efforts on an ergometer at 100 and 200 W with and without patella KTT. Economy, energy cost, oxygen cost, heart rate, efficiency, 3D kinematics, and lower-body electromyography signals were collected over the last minute of each effort. Comfort levels and perceived change in knee stability and performance with KTT were recorded. The effects of KTT were either unclear, non-significant, or clearly trivial on all collected physiological and kinematic measures. KTT significantly, clearly, and meaningfully enhanced vastus medialis peak, mean, and integrated electromyographic signals, and vastus medialis-to-lateralis activation. Electromyographic measures from biceps femoris and biceps-to-rectus femoris activation ratio decreased in either a significant or clinically meaningful manner. Despite most cyclists perceiving KTT as comfortable, increasing stability, and improving performance, the intervention exerted no considerable effects on all physiological and kinematic measures. KTT did alter neuromuscular recruitment, which has potential implications for injury prevention.
- Published
- 2019
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