Taping and prevention (even during training)

Taping isn't just something you do on game day. It's a daily prevention and protection tool, especially in field and contact sports where the ankle is a major weak point.
The framework of the studies is clear on some aspects:

  • Rigid taping/bracing has the strongest evidence for preventing ankle sprains

  • Elastic taping/Kinesio Tape shows more specific effects: stability, postural control, small improvements in pain and function in contexts of instability or rehabilitation

Used properly, taping becomes an ally for training with greater continuity and safety.


1. Prevent injuries: the number one benefit!

The strongest evidence in favor of taping concerns the reduction of ankle sprains , especially in those who have already had an injury.

Basketball: stability and prevention

In basketball, ankle taping is almost always used prophylactically :

  • Taping and bracing reviews report 50–70% reductions in sprain incidence in athletes with prior sprains

  • several studies on basketball teams confirm this protective effect throughout the season

Furthermore, specific works show that taping:

  • reduces range of motion in dorsiflexion and inversion immediately after application

  • increases the mechanical stability of the joint

Some of its effect wears off after 60–90 minutes of play, but it remains an important aid in the most critical phases of training and matches. This makes sense to use it even in the most intense sessions, not just in competitions.

American Football: Injury Prevention and Stability

In football (especially high school and college) prophylactic ankle taping is pretty much the standard of care :

  • Historical cohort studies report declines in the incidence of sprains from approximately 32.8 to 14.7 events per 1000 exposures after the systematic introduction of taping, a reduction approaching 50%

When comparing semi-rigid braces and taping , in-season sprain rates were similar (e.g., 6 sprains out of 83 athletes, 3 per group), but:

  • Braces are often more convenient in terms of cost and time

  • The tape remains the "tailor-made" solution, ideal when it is necessary to personalize the support based on the sport, the role, the shape of the foot and the sensations of the athlete

In summary, for basketball and football you can legitimately talk about taping as a tool that “stabilizes, protects, prevents” , relying on numbers such as the −50–70% reduction in sprains in subjects already injured .

2. Recovery support and pain management

Another area where taping makes sense is returning from injury .

  • Reviews of Kinesio Taping in rehabilitation indicate that, in some conditions (tendinopathies, knee or ankle instability), adding KT to exercises can give small improvements in pain and function scores.

  • It is not a miracle therapy, but a complementary support : it helps make movement more tolerable while working with progressive exercises and physiotherapy

In basketball, in particular:

  • In college players with chronic ankle instability , a trial showed that Kinesio Tape increased isokinetic plantar/dorsiflexion strength by approximately 15–20% and improved balance tests.

The right message here is not “superhuman performance”, but:

“Taping helps regain control, strength, and confidence in the joint, making your return to the field safer.”

3. Performance and agility: more control, not superpowers

In other contexts, such as professional soccer players, a certain type of dynamic taping improved dynamic balance (Star Excursion Balance Test) compared to no tape and a placebo, without increasing explosive performance in jump tests. Again, the focus is on stability and control , not on "higher jumps."

When it comes to healthy athletes , taping does not appear to “enhance” performance.

  • Studies on healthy basketball players show that tape or Kinesio Tape does not improve vertical jump or sprinting compared to no tape at all.

  • A study of field sports (including basketball and football) evaluated the effect of preventative taping on change of direction and reactive agility : times on Y-shaped agility tests did not worsen with the tape, refuting the idea that taping necessarily “slows down” the athlete.

  • In college football research, external support (tape or brace) does not substantially impair sprinting and changes of direction , while reducing the risk of sprain.

4. Joint stability and control: what Kinesio Tape says

On the pure stability front, Kinesio Tape has an interesting role, especially in the presence of chronic instability .

  • A 2022 meta-analysis of 8 studies (270 athletes with chronic ankle instability) shows that KT significantly reduces inversion/eversion range of motion and lateral postural sway

  • Improves metrics such as stride speed, stride length/stride length, and base of support

The authors speak of a moderate stabilizing effect on the ankle, particularly useful in:

  • contact sports

  • athletes with histories of recurrent sprains

  • situations in which the sensation of a “slipping ankle” limits safety in movement

In practice, Kinesio Tape:

  • It does not block the joint like a rigid tape

  • but it can improve neuromuscular control and perception of support

What you find in our shop

To put all this into practice in your training and racing routine, you can find:

  • Rigid tapes for prophylactic and functional taping, ideal for basketball, football and sports with many jumps and changes of direction

  • Elastic kinesio tape for stability support, pain management and injury recovery, especially in cases of chronic instability.

Two different tools, to be combined based on the sport, injury history, and advice from your physiotherapist or trainer, with a common goal:

train and play more consistently, reducing the risk of sprains and returning to the field more safely.