KT Tape – Recover Faster, Support Injuries, Prolong Fatigue

We’ve all seen an athlete wearing kinesio tape, but what is it really for? Recovering or supporting an injury? Support during hard efforts and aiding in recovery afterwards? KT Tape says yes to all of that. We’ve used tape from another brand for years, so how does KT Tape stack up?

What Is It?

Let’s start off by talking about what it is. Kinesio tape is definitely different from the typical white athletic tape, the stuff I remember from getting my ankle taped in High School. White the prewrap underneath might have had a little stretch, the white tape doesn’t stretch at all. Instead, Kinesio tape has a good amount of stretch to provide support, while still allowing for more movement. It has a sticky backing allowing athletes to wear the tape for days at a time.

KT Tape says their tape helps to “relieve minor pain and provide flexible support to muscles, ligaments and tendons.” When properly applied using the anchor and stretch technique, it helps to pull the skin away from the tissues below, promoting increased blood flow and aid pain relief and reduce swelling.

My personal experience with kinesio tape started with a sprained ankle. After rolling it pretty hard, I was given a lace up sleeve to wear, but it didn’t fit in my cycling shoes. Once the swelling was down enough, I switched over to KT Tape I picked up from a local store. From there, I used YouTube videos to learn how to wrap for an ankle sprain, and off I went. Over time, I’ve used RockTape for knee, lower back, and shoulder pain, along with adding some additional lower back support for some of my hardest rides. Another athlete I had helping me with the review has also used it on ankles, lower back, and shoulders for support and pain management for minor injuries, and support for back to back days of hard training sessions.

Application

With the pre-cut strips, application was simple since the tape didn’t need to be cut and trimmed like a typical RockTape application. Since it was on my back, having someone to apply it for me was necessary. For application, I highly recommend watching videos from the brands themselves or respected physical therapists, or a PT might even show you how to do it to help with an injury.

For my lower back, I used an H strap method that I have used for many years from RockTape. I stood next to a table with a slight lean forward. From there, my wife attached the first strip at the top of my glutes, creating an anchor point. She then applied a bit of stretch as she applied it going up my back, a few inches out, running parallel to my spine, and then finishing off with no stretch to create the top anchor. After applying the second strip, I pointed out where the pain typically would be, and she applied the Pro Wide strip across the back, using the same method of creating an anchor, and adding just a small amount of stretch, before finishing with another anchor. What this does is provide support to my lower back and glutes, especially when in an aggressive road position since the tape stretches as you lean forward.

On The Road

The tape itself, definitely seemed to help. Whether it was recovering from a strained back, during a hard block of training, or at an event, there was a noticeable difference in recovery from the injury and support during workouts. While I can’t quantify it and say I was able to ride X number of watts harder for X number of minutes, I felt like I was able to stay fresher for longer, delaying fatigue, and recovery better afterwards. In fact, between using KT Tape, using a custom recovery blend from Infinit Nutrition, and spending some time in my Normatec boots after the 135 mile ride over the summer, I was back teaching back to back group fitness classes on the next evening and a third less than 12 hours later with no soreness. Since the KT Tape is the only constant that directly focused on my back, I have to believe it played at least a part in it.

You’ll forget you have it on after a while, so you will need to be careful when putting on or taking off clothing, or toweling off after showers, all of which can start to peel the edges and lead to earlier reapplication. Since KT Tape typically comes in precut strips, I found it didn’t fray or catch quite as much as RockTape, which requires more attention to trimming the ends smoothly and round.

KT vs Rock

In comparing the two brands, honestly, I can’t tell much of a difference. RockTape claims to be stretchier and have better adhesion, but I couldn’t tell a difference. In fact, our other tester though KT Tape stayed in place longer than RockTape. The other difference you’ll find is that KT Tape traditionally comes in precut rolls, where RockTape comes in rolls that you must cut to custom lengths, but you’ll find a few of both options for both brands.. There are pros and cons to both methods.

So which is better?  That’s a good question. We tested out the KT Tape Pro Oxygen, KT Tape Pro Wide, and KT Tape Pro Extreme. Both myself and the other tester mainly used the tapes for lower back support, using the Pro Oxygen and Pro Extreme to do two vertical strips with a Pro Wide strip perpendicular across the back. At times, it was to help relieve pain and stress of a strained lower back, and other times, it was to aid in support during some tough efforts, like my 135-mile ride for the American Cancer Society.

Which KT Tape?

So for most of us, when it comes to tape, there are a few main products that cyclists will use. Here’s a quick recap that might help you decide which is best for you.

Original Cotton – This is where it all began, and probably one of the easiest to find at stores. Made for 1-3 days of active use, through sweat, showers, and even the pool, it is a latex-free tape that is 2″ wide, 10″ long, and you get 20 strips per pack, or a 125′ uncut roll. It is available in a range of colors, and stores in a small round container, keeping it protected so you can easily take it on the go with you. The Original Cotton can be used for day-to-day support, sports, and everything in between, but if you are looking for something with more performance, the Pro products might be what you are looking for.

Pro – Pro takes things up a notch. Where the Original Cotton is more for day to day use and rehab, Pro is performance focused. It uses a breathable, waterproof synthetic material with a stronger adhesive, helping it stay in place for up to 7 days. The synthetic material provides more support and keeps its elasticity longer than the Original Cotton. It’s available in 2″ by 10″ strips, or uncut rolls in black and a range of colors. The Pro Wide is a 4″ by 10″ option for lower backs and larger muscles.

Pro Extreme – Pro Extreme is for the toughest conditions. It uses the same synthetic fabric as the Pro, but with an extra strong adhesive. Hot and humid conditions, water sports, oily skin, this is the tape you need. Extreme is rated for 7 days usage, and during our testing, consistently lasted a few days longer than the regular pro. It’s only available in 2″ by 10″ strips in black, tan, and blue. Myself and the other tester agreed, if we only had one option, it would be Pro Extreme.

Pro Oxygen – The newest tape, the Pro Oxygen adds Celliant Infrared Technology to the Pro tape. Celliant is a “blend of natural minerals that transforms body heat into full-spectrum infrared energy to improve cellular oxygenation.” KT Tape claims this makes more oxygen available to cells where it is applied. The tape itself lifts the skin from the layers below to provide additional blood flow, while the Celliant minerals uses infrared energy to deliver more available oxygen to the cells. This was the tape that I used during my 135-mile ride for my vertical strips. While I can’t say that I felt a noticeable difference like I would with the ventilation of an airy road helmet versus a closed off aero helmet, but it was still a great tape that provided what I needed for the event and recovery afterwards, with similar adhesion as the other Pro products.

Final Thoughts

Is KT Tape for you? Why not? Kinesio tape has helped me over the years when it comes to recovering from injury or powering through and recovering from some of my hardest workouts and events. KT Tape, especially the Pro products and Pro Extreme, offer the support and adhesion you want to provide lasting support and relief during application. If you have some nagging discomfort during your workouts or feel fatigue coming on early in specific muscles or chains, grab a roll, do your homework to make sure you are applying it properly, and give it a shot. You might just find your new secret weapon.

http://www.kttape.com