The Effects of Kinesio Ankle Taping on Postural Stability in Semiprofessional Rugby Union Players

[Purpose] Kinesio taping has been postulated to reduce injuries by improving proprioception. To date there remain few studies that have assessed the impact of Kinesio taping on postural stability and by inference proprioception in team sports. The aim of this study was to establish if bilateral application of Kinesio taping of the ankles would improve postural stability in rugby union players. [Subjects] The participants were 31 healthy semiprofessional rugby players (age 19.57 +/- 0.76 y; body mass 91.87 +/- 11.81 kg; stature 1.82 +/- 0.08 m). [Methods] Postural stability was measured using an experimental crossover study design. [Results] Significant improvements in overall stability, anterior-posterior stability, and medial-lateral stability were observed under the taped versus non-taped conditions. A secondary finding was that differences in postural stability may be associated with playing position, in that backline players exhibited significantly better overall stability under the non-taped condition compared with forward players. [Conclusion] These results suggest that Kinesio taping may enhance postural stability in a position-dependant manner in semiprofessional rugby players. From a mechanistic point of view, these findings may help to explain why Kinesio taping may be beneficial; however, the impact that the tape may have in contributing towards the prevention of ankle injuries is yet to be established.