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

PMID: 34239590
Journal: Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM
Published: 2021-06-21
Authors: 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.

## Population

- Healthy young adults recruited from a university and nearby community.
- Sample size: 38
- Age: Approximately 21 years by group means.
- Sex: Mixed; groups did not differ significantly by gender.
- Fitness level: Healthy community/university participants; baseline exercise participation recorded.
- Health status: No cardiopulmonary or musculoskeletal disorders.

## Methodology

- Unblinded randomized controlled trial with three parallel groups: Y-shaped KT, crisscross-weave KT, and no KT control.
- Single HIIT/DOMS induction session with outcomes measured before, immediately after, and 24, 48, and 72 hours after exercise.
- Sports medicine laboratory at China Medical University; data collected February 2019 to February 2020.
- Randomized and controlled study design.

## Protocol

- Quadriceps-focused HIIT DOMS induction plus KT.
- Modality: 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.
- Sets or repetitions: 5-6 x 20 split lunges, 5-6 x 20 pulsing squats, 5-6 x 20 squat jumps.
- Intensity: To muscular exhaustion.
- Session duration: Not fully reported; includes 10-minute warm-up.
- Frequency: Single session.
- Program length: One session plus 72-hour recovery observation.
- Progression: None.
- No KT control after same HIIT.
- Modality: Same bodyweight lower-body HIIT.
- Work intervals: Same repetition-based exercise.
- Recovery: Same 10-second and 3-minute rests.
- Sets or repetitions: Same 5-6 sets per exercise.
- Intensity: To muscular exhaustion.
- Session duration: Not fully reported.
- Frequency: Single session.
- Program length: One session plus 72-hour observation.
- Progression: None.

## Outcomes

### DOMS soreness
Status: no clear change
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.

### Pain threshold and thigh circumference
Status: no clear change
Neither KT application improved pressure pain threshold or thigh circumference.

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

### Quadriceps strength
Status: improved
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.

## Practical 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 And Adherence

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

## Original Sources

- [PubMed](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34239590/) (pubmed)
- [DOI](https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/6676967) (doi)
- [PMC full text](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8241507/) (full text)

## Agent Guidance

Preserve the paper-level scope of this note. Do not generalize beyond the population, protocol, measured outcomes, and limitations above.