PMID 34239590

Research
All papers

Effects of Different Kinesio-Taping Applications for Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness after High-Intensity Interval Training Exercise: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Hung BL, Sun CY, Chang NJ, Chang WD

Question

Do Y-shaped or crisscross-weave kinesio-taping applications improve pain, edema, or muscle strength recovery after a quadriceps-focused HIIT session that induces DOMS?

Summary

This randomized trial used a hard lower-body HIIT session to deliberately cause quadriceps delayed-onset muscle soreness, then tested whether two styles of kinesio taping helped recovery. Thirty-eight healthy participants completed follow-up. Both tape methods failed to reduce soreness, pressure-pain sensitivity, or thigh swelling compared with no tape. Crisscross taping did improve measured quadriceps strength at 24 and 48 hours, while Y-shaped taping did not. The paper is most useful for recovery and soreness content rather than for core HIIT adaptation programming.

Methodology

  • Healthy young adults recruited from a university and nearby community.
  • 38 participants.
  • Bodyweight lower-body HIIT.
  • Work intervals: Repetition-based sets of split lunges, pulsing squats, and squat jumps.
  • Recovery: 10 seconds between series; 3 minutes between two exercise sets.
  • Intensity: To muscular exhaustion.
  • Not fully reported; includes 10-minute warm-up.
  • Single session.
  • One session plus 72-hour recovery observation.
  • Unblinded randomized controlled trial with three parallel groups: Y-shaped KT, crisscross-weave KT, and no KT control.
  • DOMS soreness, Pressure pain threshold, Thigh circumference, and Quadriceps strength were tracked.

Outcomes

DOMS soreness

KT groups did not differ significantly from control for VAS soreness; soreness peaked at 24 hours in all groups.

Group effect and group-by-time interaction not significant; VAS at 24 hours around 5.37 to 5.70 across groups.

No clear change

Pain threshold and thigh circumference

Neither KT application improved pressure pain threshold or thigh circumference.

Reported all p > 0.05 for KT effects on VAS, PPT, and thigh circumference.

No clear change

Quadriceps strength

Crisscross-weave KT improved muscle strength recovery at 24 and 48 hours compared with Y-shaped KT and no KT.

p < 0.05 for Group CC versus Groups Y and CON at 24 and 48 hours.

Improved

Insights

  • Hard lower-body HIIT to exhaustion can create meaningful next-day soreness.
  • Kinesio taping should not be treated as evidence-backed for reducing HIIT soreness or swelling.
  • Recovery content should distinguish soreness relief from strength recovery.

Limitations

  • Small young healthy sample.
  • Unblinded design.
  • No sham taping comparator.
  • Acute DOMS model rather than training adaptation study.
  • Exact high-intensity work time was not reported.

Safety

  • 38 of 39 participants completed the trial.
  • No adverse events were reported.
  • No adverse reaction to KT tape was reported.