Oh, joy! Another study on the riveting topic of multidirectional elastic tape (MET) and its effects on passive ankle joint torque. This time, we’ve got a randomized crossover trial with four tape conditions (no-tape-NT, low-tension-LT, medium-tension-MT, and high-tension-HT) at two different speeds. The variables? Peak dorsiflexion torque, low- and high-torque stiffness, area under the loading curve (AUC), and hysteresis.

Twenty-two adults (17 of them women) with an average age of 26 years, height of 1.7m, and body mass of 71.1kg were subjected to this thrilling experiment. The results? No significant condition-by-speed interaction for any ankle torque variable. But wait, there’s more! There was a significant main effect of condition on peak dorsiflexion torque, stiffness 1, and AUC, but not stiffness 2 or hysteresis.

Post-hoc tests showed that peak dorsiflexion torque, stiffness 1 and AUC were significantly lower in the NT condition, compared to the three taped conditions, and between the LT and HT conditions. But hold your applause, the effect sizes were small.

In conclusion, MET applied with increasing levels of pre-tension led to a small and incremental increase in stretch resistance and elastic energy stored (range 5.5% to 12.5%) during passive ankle dorsiflexion. But don’t get too excited, the effect sizes were small and may not translate to measurable improvements in muscle-tendon unit performance during dynamic exercise. So, the moral of the story? We’ve learned… well, not much really.