The influence of ankle taping on changes in postural stability during soccer-specific activity.

CONTEXT Postural stability diminishes with longer activity, which may increase the risk of injury. Tape can increase stability, but this effect diminishes after exercise. OBJECTIVE To investigate the influence of ankle taping on postural stability during soccer-specific activity. PARTICIPANTS 10 male, injury-free, semiprofessional soccer players. INTERVENTION A 45-min treadmill protocol replicating the activity profile of soccer match play--with and without ankle tape. Postural stability was assessed every 7.5 min, requiring response to sudden ankle plantar flexion and inversion during single-leg stance. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE Reaction time to perturbation and center-of-gravity (CoG) displacement. RESULTS Reaction time was significantly longer (P < .05) with longer exercise for both movements and conditions. No significant effect was evident in CoG displacement. For both outcome measures a nonsignificant benefit of taping was observed during the first 22.5 min of activity. CONCLUSION Prolonged exposure to soccer-specific activity negates any beneficial effect of taping in improving postural stability.