Effects of kinesio taping on skill-related physical fitness and muscle activity following neuromuscular fatigue: A randomized-controlled trial

Kinesio taping will be used in this study. A physiotherapist that is specifically trained to apply kinesio taping for the purpose of this study. The type of kinesio tape that will be used is Kinesio Tex Gold with size of 5 cm and beige in colour. The tape will be applied to 3 muscles (rectus femoris of quadriceps, biceps femoris of hamstring and medial gastrocnemius) of the dominant leg of the participants. The tape will be applied during participants preparation atleast 30 minutes prior warm up and stretching at the High Performance Gym (study setting). Once the tape is applied, the tape will be used throughout the study (approximately 2 hours) as the tape is effective for 3-5 days. No replacement of tape will be required. Tape is applied to each participant on a single occasion only. The tape applied will be regularly checked throughout the study. If the edge of tape begun to lift, it will be trimmed. If the tape applied come off, new tape will be applied. After the warm up and stretching session, participants will be given a session to get familiarize with the test and protocol before the actual procedure. Then, participants will be asked to set a preferred jogging speed for dynamic postural control measurement. This will be achieved by participants jog on the treadmill with a fixed speed of 0.5 km/h to start. Next, the belt speed will be increased by 0.4 km/h every 15 seconds until participant found the preferred speed. Next, participant will do the actual testing procedure. For the baseline test or pre-test, prior starting, participant’s maximum vertical jump will be recorded. Participant then will perform the T-Drill Test to assess the agility. After completing T-Drill Test, participant then will perform vertical jump test to assess leg power. Next, subject will perform Star Excursion Balance Test (SEBT) to assess balance. Next, subject will step on the treadmill to perform assessment of dynamic postural control. The washout period in between test will be 2-3 minutes. The test will be in a random order for each and every participant. The same procedure will be repeated for post test. To induce neuromuscular fatigue, modified Functional Agility Short Term Fatigue Protocol (FAST-FP) will be used. This protocol consist of vertical jumping, stepping up and down, squatting and L-Drill. Firstly, participants will perform three consecutive vertical jump. Secondly, participants will perform a series of step up and down a 30 cm box for 20 seconds at 220 beats per minute (bpm). Thirdly, subjects will perform squatting to 90 degree knee flexion for 3 times. Finally, participants will perform a L-Drill (proagility shuttle run). For L-Drill, three cones will be set in the shape of an L with 4.05 meter apart. Participants will start at starting cone, sprint to the first cone and sprint back to the starting cone. Then participants will sprint to first cone, ran around it and cut inside to the second cone. Participants will ran in a circle around the second cone from the inside to the outside and sprint around the first cone before running to the starting cone. Completing the four tasks (vertical jumps, step-up and down, squatting and L-drill) will be counted as one set of the protocol. This will be repeated until maximal neuromuscular fatigue is achieved. Fatigue criteria will be manifested by the participants did not achieve 90% of the maximal jump on all 3 vertical jumps for 2 consecutive fatigue sets. After maximal neuromuscular fatigue is achieved, participants will be test for post-test including T-Drill Test, vertical jump test, Star Excursion Balance Test (SEBT) and postural control test on treadmill in random order. After completing one test, participant will be asked to perform again the fatigue protocol to ensure the maximal neuromuscular fatigue level is maintained. To minimize the recovery of neuromuscular fatigue, the manifestation of fatigue and the data collection will be less than 10-15 seconds. There will be four groups. For Group A, tape will be applied to the participants and they will be exposed to neuromuscular fatigue. For Group B, no tape will be applied but participant will be exposed to neuromuscular fatigue. For Group C, tape will be applied but participant will not be exposed to neuromuscular fatigue. For Group D, no tape will be applied and participant will not be exposed to neuromuscular fatigue. For Group C and Group D where participants will not be exposed to neuromuscular fatigue, after completing the baseline test, participants will be given 15 minutes rest as washout period before proceeding to post-test.