Central European Journal of Sport Sciences and Medicine (Jan 2014)
Short-Term Effects of Elastic Taping on Dancer's Postural Control Performance
Abstract
It was explored whether three different applications of elastic tape on the lower limbs of active, healthy dancers influence their postural control performance. 15 active, healthy dancers randomly performed demi-pointes and sissone ouvertes on a force platform in four experimental conditions: 1. no tape application, 2. ankle joint tape application, 3. leg muscle tape application, and 4. control tape application. Four kinetic parameters were calculated in order to represent postural control performance: 1) variable error of force magnitude in forward-backward direction, 2) variable error of force magnitude in side to side direction. 3) peak impact force during landing phase and 4) episodes of overall duration. Results revealed a task-dependent performance-enhancing effect and an application-specific performance-influencing effect concerning vertical ground reaction force measurements. It is concluded that the application of elastic tape for healthy, active dancers may on the one hand enhance parameters of postural control, whereas the same elastic tape application may hamper other performance related aspects of typical modern and classical ballet dance routines. Conflicting scientific results may thus indicate that generalized effects are controversial and positive influences in one specific characteristic can induce a decrease in another performance influencing characteristic.
