Olympians Decorate with Performance-Enhancing Tape

You probably noticed and have been wondering why so many Olympians from numerous events have masses of tape adhered across various body parts. It's called Kinesio Tape and was developed by a Japanese chiropractor to help heal injuries and and boost performance.

Kinesio claims to cut pain and boost performance. And judging by its prominence at this year's Games, athletes think it works.

"If you don't know the proper taping technique, you're not going to get the results you want," said Good, adding that more than 100,000 athletic trainers worldwide have taken the paid Kinesio Taping course, about 10,000 last year in the United States alone.

Link (Photo credit: Alexander Hassenstein)

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Maybe it's also to razzle dazzle their opponents! Hey, it worked for the Navy!

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Placebotal works wonders don't it?

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I used this through the last bowling season. The strain of throwing an 11 lb. ball, 12-15 games a week with my right arm, while lungeing out on my left leg was really taxing. The tape was applied to the right side of my neck, and my right shoulder. The tape supports overstressed muscles in the way an Ace bandage would, but without the bulk, and it's much more versatile. It will stay put even after showering, so it doesn't need to be reapplied as often as conventional athletic tape. It's flexible and moves with the athlete's body.

Athletes of Olympic caliber are looking for any edge over their competition that they can legally use.