Effect of Ankle Taping and Exercise on EMG and Kinetics during Landing

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of ankle taping and the combined effect of ankle taping and exercise on ankle stabilization under four different conditions (pre-taped, taped, walking on the treadmill, removal of tape) in drop landing from a 40 cm height. The subjects consisted of 14 healthy adult (four male, ten female) volunteers with ages ranging from 22-28 years. Preamplified EMG electrodes were attached to the soleus, tibialis anterior, vastus medialis, and biceps femoris. EMG and force plate data were collected at 500 Hz. While standing on one leg, subjects hopped from a 40 cm height onto a force plate. The ankle of the right leg was then taped followed by a repeat of the hopping task, walking on a treadmill, and a second repetition of the hopping task. The hopping task was again repeated following the removal of the tape. Significant increases occurred in vertical ground reaction forces for the taped conditions compared with those in pretaped and untaped conditions. In the taped conditions, the soleus displayed a significant decrease in mean iEMG from impact to peak vertical ground reaction force (p<0.05). Results suggest that taping can provide enough mechanical support to limit ankle motion even after 30 minutes of walking on the treadmill. Additionally, diminished soleus iEMG activity may be related to an increase in the ground reaction forces upon landing from a jump.