THE ACUTE EFFECTS OF KINESIOTAPE ON THROWING ACCURACY IN
COLLEGIATE BASEBALL PLAYERS

A THESIS
Submitted to the Faculty of the School of Graduate Studies
and Research
of
California University of Pennsylvania in partial
fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of
Master of Science

by
Erin Podroskey, ATC, PES

Research Advisor, Dr. Ellen West
California, Pennsylvania
2013

ii

iii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank everyone who has helped me along
the way of completing my thesis. First, I would like to
thank my committee for guiding me through this process and
showing me that I am capable of doing anything on my own. I
would also like to thank Ryan Davis for going through this
entire process with me and helping me work out any issues
we came upon.
Thank you to the Cal U baseball players who
participated in this study and who I also got to work with
this whole year.

It has been a great experience and honor

to work with their team.

I would also like to thank Chase

Kreger for helping me out during my data collection and
supporting me when I had my doubts. Last but not least, I
would like to thank my mother for always believing in me
and helping me to stay confident in myself and my abilities
not only as an athletic trainer and student, but as a
person in general. She has been there for me every step of
the way and never stopped believing in me.
where I am today without her.

I would not be

iv

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
SIGNATURE PAGE

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ii

AKNOWLEDGEMENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
LIST OF TABLES

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vi

LIST OF FIGURES .
INTRODUCTION
METHODS

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . vii

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Research Design
Subjects

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Preliminary Research. . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Instruments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Procedures

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Hypotheses

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Data Analysis
RESULTS

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Demographic Information
Hypotheses Testing

. . . . . . . . . . . 13

. . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

DISCUSSION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Discussion of Results . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Recommendations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Implications to the Profession

. . . . . . . . 21

v
Conclusions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
REFERENCES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
APPENDICES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
APPENDIX A: Review of Literature

. . . . . . . . 26

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Biomechanics of Throwing . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Taping for Injuries . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Throwing Accuracy . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Effects of Kinesiotape

. . . . . . . . . . 43

Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
APPENDIX B: The Problem . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Statement of the Problem . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Definition of Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Basic Assumptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Limitations of the Study . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Delimitations of the Study . . . . . . . . . . 49
Significance of the Study

. . . . . . . . . . 49

APPENDIX C: Additional Methods . . . . . . . . . 51
Figures and Target (C1)

. . . . . . . . . . . 52

Informed Consent Form (C2) . . . . . . . . . . 56
Individual Data Collection Sheet (C3) . . . . . . 60
IRB Approval (C4) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
REFERENCES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
ABSTRACT

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

vi
LIST OF TABLES
Table

Title

Page

1

Means of Throwing Accuracy
under Each Taping Condition . . . . . . . 14

2

ANOVA for Average Throwing
Accuracy under Taping Conditions . . . . . 15

3

ANOVA for Average Throwing
Accuracy between Pitchers
and Position Players
. . . . . . . . . 15

4

ANOVA for Average Throwing
Accuracy for Tape and Position

. . . . . 16

vii

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure

Title

Page

1

Kinesiotape Pectoralis
Major Inhibition . . . . . . . . . . . 53

2

Kinesiotape Rhomboid
Major Facilitation . . . . . . . . . . 53

3

Warm-up Protocol . . . . . . . . . . . 54

4

Target . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

1

INTRODUCTION

All athletes want to be able to perform to the best of
their ability which requires them to be in the best
physical condition possible to be able to do so.

With

overhead sport athletes, such as baseball players,
improving the accuracy of throwing can help to improve
performance ability greatly.
Kinesiotape is becoming a very popular treatment in
sports medicine for athletes. This tape is a porous fabric,
non-medicated adhesive tape that can be stretched up to
130-140% of its original length before returning to its
resting length after application.1-8 The tape is said to
simulate qualities of human skin with a thickness roughly
the same as the epidermis.1,2,5,7 There are many different
theories about its effects on the body.

One theory is that

kinesiotape claims to improve accuracy of fine motor
movements.

Another claim made is that kinesiotape

facilitates joint and muscle realignment by improving the
stability of the joint.1-3,8
The effects of kinesiotape on injuries vary as well.
This tape has been reported to support injured muscles and

2
joints while relieving pain.1-4 When a muscle is affected by
injury or fatigue, the interstitial space between the skin
and the connective tissue becomes compressed which then
constricts the flow of lymphatic fluid preventing the
healing process to occur properly.1-4,7,8 Kinesiotape is said
to decompress the space allowing the lymphatic fluid to
penetrate the injured area allowing a faster recovery time.
Two common factors of how kinesiotape affects the body
are strength and pain.

Tieh-Cheng et al2 assessed strength

in athletes using an isokinetic dynamometer on the
quadriceps muscle on the dominant leg. The results
determined that kinesiotape does not enhance or inhibit
strength in healthy athletes. A similar study was conducted
on healthy, non-athlete women.

Vithoulka et al9 determined

that there is a small increase in eccentric strength.
William et al8 examined several studies regarding the
effects of kinesiotape on strength and concluded that there
is a slight increase in strength.
Pain levels due to injuries have also been studied by
researchers.

Kinesiotape has been determined to be

effective in decreasing pain levels when applied shortly
after sustaining an injury.1,4,6 However, there are several
other studies where the researchers determined that there
was no significant effect on pain due to kinesiotape.5,7,8

3
Overall there is a lack of research on the true
effects of kinesiotape in overhead throwing. As an athletic
trainer, this study will help to determine if kinesiotape
has an effect on performance.

The purpose of this study is

to examine the acute effects of kinesiotape on throwing
accuracy in overhead sport athletes.

4

METHODS

The primary purpose of this study is to examine the
effect of kinesiotape on throwing accuracy in overhead
sport athletes. This section will include the following
subsections:

research design, subjects, instruments,

procedures, hypotheses, and data analysis.

Research Design

This research is a quasi-experimental, within
subjects, repeated measures design.

Two independent

variables will be studied in this project. One of the
independent variables is tape condition.

This condition

will have three levels. These levels consist of
kinesiotape, placebo tape, and no tape (control). The
second independent variable is position the athlete plays
in his sport. For the purpose of this project, position
will be broken into pitchers and non-pitchers. The
dependent variable will be accuracy measured by throwing at
a target.

An advantage of this research study is that each

subject will serve as their own control making the
statistical data more relevant and accurate.

5
Subjects

The subjects used for this study were 30 volunteer
male and female athletes from California University of
Pennsylvania who participated in varsity baseball and
softball.

A minimum of 15 volunteers was needed. Club

baseball players were also to be used if necessary.

All

subjects were between the ages of 18 to 25 and were
screened for any disability or dysfunction to the upper
extremities.

Athletes who were not within this age range

were not allowed to participate in this study.
Additionally, individuals who had any upper extremity
injury that caused pain while throwing were excluded from
the study.

Subjects who had shoulder or elbow surgery

within six months of the study or not medically cleared by
the team physician for competition were also excluded. Any
subjects who had a history of or experienced an allergic
reaction to tape were excluded from the study as well.

Preliminary Research

A preliminary study was conducted with this research
project.

Up to three subjects, with no aforementioned

injuries, were used to review the protocol.

The subjects

6
performed all of the testing procedures.

The researcher

was looking for each of the subject’s ability to understand
directions, the amount of time used to complete the tasks
and if the warm-up protocol before service testing is
accurate.

Data was collected on the data collection sheet

(Appendix C3). Included on the data collection sheet were
the subject number, gender, position in sport, taping
condition, and training session number.

The measurement of

the distance from the center of the mark where the ball hit
the target to the center of the target was recorded for
each individual throw.

Velocity was also measured as part

of a separate study. A comment and note section was
included on the data sheet to make note of throwing
mechanics for each individual subject for consistency
throughout the course of the study.

Instruments

The instruments used for this study included a target
made by the researcher of this study, Kinesio Tex Gold, a
warm up protocol, official NCAA baseballs, and a tape
measure.

7
Procedure

The researcher applied and received approval from the
IRB at California University of Pennsylvania before
research was conducted.

Subjects were recruited from an

informational meeting held prior to any testing. Each
participant’s identity remained confidential and was not
included in the study. All subjects had the option to
remove themselves from the study at any point in time if
they felt it was necessary.

All volunteer subjects

received an informed consent form (Appendix C2) which they
read, signed, and dated.

After the informed consent form

was obtained by the researcher, the testing protocol was
verbally explained to all subjects to minimize any
confusion that might occur.
The subjects were to report to testing on three
separate occasions for the randomly assigned taping
conditions. Testing was held at inside the Hamer Gymnasium
at California University of Pennsylvania. Each session
lasted 15 minutes and was a minimum of 24 hours apart from
the first session. The kinesiotaping techniques used were
pectoralis major inhibition and rhomboid major
facilitation. For the pectoralis major inhibition taping,
the researcher measured and cut a Kinesio Tex Y strip and

8
anchored the tape to the greater tubercle of the humerus
with the shoulder in neutral with no tension. For the
superior tail of the Y strip, the shoulder was placed in 90
degrees of flexion, horizontal abduction and external
rotation. The tape was placed over the clavicular portion
of the muscle along the medial third of the clavicle with a
tension of 15-20% ending with no tension at the sternum.
For the inferior tail of the Y strip, the shoulder was
placed in 110-130 degrees of flexion with external rotation
and full horizontal abduction. This portion of the tape was
placed along ribs 5-6 with a tension of 15-25%, ending with
no tension above the nipple line. Both tails of the Y strip
were then rubbed to activate the adhesive of the tape
completing this application. This taping technique can be
seen in Figure 1 (Appendix C1).
For the rhomboid major facilitation taping, the
researcher measured and cut a Kinesio Tex X strip with
splayed tails.

One end of the tails was anchored at T2-T5

with no tension on the tape.

The shoulder was placed in

full horizontal adduction and 15-35% of tension was applied
to the tape.

The other end of the tail was splayed at the

medial border of the scapula below the spine of the scapula
with no tension on the tape.

The tape was then rubbed to

activate the adhesive of the tape, completing this

9
application. This taping technique can be seen in Figure 2
(Appendix C1). For the placebo tape, 2-inch Elastikon was
applied in the same manner that the kinesiotape was
applied.

All three taping conditions (no tape, placebo

tape, and kinesiotape) were used on the subjects in a
counter balanced order with six different combinations. The
subjects were blinded to the taping condition before
completing the warm-up protocol prior to testing.
The warm-up was the same standardized warm-up used in
the weight room with the strength and conditioning coaches
at California University of Pennsylvania, which consisted
of continuous, dynamic components.
warm-up were 15 yards long.

All stretches in the

First, the continuous portion

of the warm-up was started where the subjects jogged,
backpedaled, shuffled left and shuffled right. Then the
subjects completed high knee skips, butt kicks, high knee
carioca left and right, and straight leg skips. The dynamic
portion was performed next that started with a super lunge
series followed by a Cossack squat. Then the subjects moved
on to a spider lunge with outside hand thoracic rotation,
hamstring stretch, inside hand thoracic rotation, and
hamstring with calf stretch.
Next an overhead lunge was performed.

Once these

movements were completed, the subjects repeated the

10
previously described continuous portion. A copy of the
warm-up can be seen in Figure 3 (Appendix C1). After the
warm-up was complete, each subject was allowed five
practice throws at the target before measurements were
taken.

The target used was a 0.9-meter circle with a

height from the floor to the center of the target at 2
meters replicated from a study by Zahradnik, Vaverka, and
Gajda.

10

Paper with foam padding was placed on the target

for the ball to be able to leave a visible mark.

Figure 4

shows the target used for this study (Appendix C1).

The

subjects each threw from a distance of sixty-feet sixinches to the designated target. This distance was used
since it is the distance from the pitcher’s mound to home
plate for baseball. The subjects were instructed to throw
whichever way is most comfortable to him and to perform all
test throws in the same manner. The throws must have been
thrown hard enough to leave a visible mark on the target
for the data to be counted on the data collection sheet.
line was placed at the distance the subjects were required
to throw from. All subjects had to perform the throws from
behind the line in order for the throws to be considered.
If any subject stepped on or over the line, that throw was
not included in the data collection for that particular
subject.

A

11
After the practice throws were complete, the subjects
threw five balls at the target with a thirty-second rest in
between each throw.

The researcher made note of how each

subject performed the throws in order to keep consistency
within the research design.

The distance from the center

of the mark where the ball hit the target to center of the
target was measured using a tape measure after the testing
was completed. If a subject missed the target completely, a
distance of 45 centimeters was given for that throw. This
distance is the outer limit of the target. All five
distances of the throws from the center of the target were
averaged together and collected on the data sheet.

After

the testing for that session was completed, the subjects
were allowed to remove any tape and leave.

The data

collected on the data sheets was then transferred to a
Microsoft Excel® spreadsheet.

Hypotheses

The following hypotheses were formed from the current
research and the researcher’s intuition based on the
literature review:

12
1. Kinesiotape will have no significant difference on
throwing accuracy as compared to the control, and
placebo taping groups.
2. The position in which the subject plays will not have
a significant difference on throwing accuracy with all
three taping groups.

Data Analysis

All data will be analyzed by SPSS version 18.0 for
Windows at alpha level of 0.05 (α = p ≤ 0.05).

The

research hypotheses will be analyzed using a repeated
measures analysis of variance (ANOVA).

13

RESULTS

The primary purpose of the study was to examine the
acute effects of kinesiotape on throwing accuracy in NCAA
Division II baseball players.

Kinesiotape for pectoralis

major inhibition and rhomboid major facilitation was
applied to the dominant shoulder of each subject.

Throwing

accuracy was measured for each subject by taking the
average distance of five throws from the center of the
target under each taping condition.

Demographic Information

A total of sixteen NCAA Division II collegiate
baseball players (N=16) from California University of
Pennsylvania participated in the study after the informed
consent forms were collected.

All of the subjects were

cleared to participate by their athletic trainer.

12 of

the subjects were right-handed and 4 were left-handed. 3 of
the subjects were pitchers and 13 were position players.
All subjects were between the ages of 18 and 24.

14

Hypotheses Testing

Hypotheses testing were performed from the results of
the 16 subjects that participated in the study. All
hypotheses were tested with a level of significance set at
α ≤ 0.05 and SPSS software was used to analyze for the
significance of the hypothesis.
Hypothesis 1: The application of kinesiotape will not
have a significant effect on throwing accuracy when
compared to a placebo tape and no tape.

Table 1 shows the

means of throwing accuracy under each taping condition.

Table 1. Means of Throwing Accuracy Under Each Taping
Condition
Taping
Condition
No tape
Placebo tape
Kinesiotape

Mean
(cm)
37.2
35.8
37.6

Std.
Deviation
6.18
6.98
4.62

A one-way repeated measure ANOVA was used to compare
the mean difference of the three taping conditions: no
tape, placebo tape, and kinesiotape.

There was no

significant difference due to the three separate taping
conditions (F(2, 30) = .512, p > .05). Table 2 shows the

15
ANOVA for throwing accuracy with no tape, placebo tape, and
kinesiotape.

Table 2. ANOVA for Average Throwing Accuracy Under Taping
Conditions
Source
Type III
df
Mean
F
Sig
Sum of
Square
Squares
Tape
28.666
2
14.333
.512
.604
Error
(Tape)
839.594
30
27.986

Hypothesis 2: The position the subject plays in his
sport will not have a significant effect on throwing
accuracy under all three taping conditions. Table 3 shows
the ANOVA for throwing accuracy between pitchers and
position players.

Table 3. ANOVA for Average Throwing Accuracy between
Pitchers and Position Players
Source

Type III
Sum of
Squares

df

Mean
Square

F

Sig

.309

1

.309

.006

.942

14

56.211

Position
Error
(Position) 787.088

A 3 x 2 mixed-design ANOVA was calculated to examine
the effects of the tape (no tape, placebo tape, and

16
kinesiotape) and position (pitchers and position players)
on throwing accuracy.

No significant main effects or

interactions were found.

The tape x position interaction

(F(2, 28) = .219, p > .05), the main effect for tape (F(2,
28) = .632, p > .05), and the main effect for position
(F(1, 14) = .006, p > .05) were all not significant.
Throwing accuracy was not influenced by either tape or
position.

Table 4 shows the ANOVA for throwing accuracy

between tape and position.

Table 4. ANOVA for Average Throwing Accuracy for Tape and
Position
Source

Type III
Sum of
Squares

df

Mean
Square

F

Sig

37.341

2

18.670

.632

.534

12.956

2

6.478

.219

.804

826.638

28

Tape
Tape and
Position
Error
(Tape)

29.523

17

DISCUSSION

This study was meant to examine the acute effects of
kinesiotape on throwing accuracy in overhead sport
athletes.

Many studies have found positive physiological

effects with kinesiotape such as pain free range of motion,
increased strength, overall function of the joint and
increased proprioception.

1,5-8

Other studies found no

significant differences from the kinesiotape on the
previously stated effects.

4,7,11

The majority of studies

used subjects with injuries instead of healthy populations.
1,5,6,11

For the studies that used healthy populations, there

was no significant difference from the effect of the
kinesiotape on the factors being studied.

2,9

Discussion of Results

The findings of this study support the hypotheses that
kinesiotape does not have a significant effect on throwing
accuracy and that the position played in the sport does not
have a significant effect on throwing accuracy.

18
Multiple studies have been performed that examined the
effects of kinesiotape have found positive results in
regards to injury prevention, balance, and muscle strength.
2,12,13

This particular study did not examine those effects.

The purpose of the study was to examine how kinesiotape
affects performance in the form of throwing accuracy in
overhead sport athletes.
A study performed by Marban et al determined that
kinesiotape is effective in injury prevention to avoid
contractures or cramps during competition which in turn
would help to increase performance in triathletes and
dualathletes. Kinesiotape was applied to the lower
extremities in for the study on triathletes.13 For this
study, kinesiotape was applied to the upper extremity.
Since the upper body and lower body can be assumed to mimic
their counterparts, it could be said that kinesiotape would
have similar effects in both the lower extremities and
upper extremities.

However, this study shows that there is

no improvement in performance in the form of throwing
accuracy with kinesiotape as the intervention.
Cortesi, Cattaneo, and Jonsdottir examined how
kinesiotape effects balance.

It was determined that

kinesiotape may be useful in establishing body posture when
it is applied at the ankle.12 Since the shoulders can affect

19
body posture, it could be assumed that kinesiotape applied
to the shoulder and upper back musculature would also help
to improve posture.

An improvement in body posture could

potentially have an effect on throwing accuracy.
Escamilla and Andrews looked at muscle activity during
different types of overhead throws.
throws was baseball pitching.

One of the overhead

The researchers determined

which muscles were the most active at the different phases
of throwing.14 It was stated that peak maximum voluntary
isometric contraction (MVIC) for rhomboid activity during
the arm cocking and arm deceleration phase was 41-45%. When
the kinesiotape was applied to the shoulder for this study,
the pectoralis major was inhibited and the rhomboid major
was facilitated.

Since this muscle was being facilitated

by the kinesiotape, it could be assumed that this factor
may have had an effect on its muscle activity.

This could

then lead to a differing effect on throwing accuracy.

Recommendations

From the findings of this study, there are no acute
effects of kinesiotape on throwing accuracy.

No

significant changes were found between the application of
kinesiotape, a placebo tape, and no tape.

20
Sixteen subjects were used in this study which could
be a limiting factor. A higher number of subjects could
have helped better determine the effects of the
kinesiotape. The subjects were also NCAA Division II
baseball players which could mean that there is a
possibility that higher skilled athletes at the NCAA
Division I or professional level could possibly see a
positive effect on throwing accuracy from the kinesiotape.
Elite level pitchers may also be more accurate in their
throws compared to position players.
The number of pitchers versus position players in this
study was also disproportionate.

More pitchers should be

used in order to find if there is a true difference in
position on throwing accuracy.
in this study.

Also, no females were used

It could be suggested that females be used

to see if there is a difference from gender.
The subjects used for this study were also healthy
athletes.

Future studies could look at injured athletes to

see if the tape improves their performance.

Another factor

that could contribute to the findings of the research is
that the subjects participating in the study were in their
competitive season.

Since testing was done in the

evenings, the subjects’ arms could have been tired from
practicing earlier in the day.

The center of the target

21
was also 2 meters high which could have also been a
contributing factor since baseball players typically try to
aim lower.

This study used only two kinesiotape techniques

for the shoulder out of the numerous techniques available.
A different technique of kinesiotape for the shoulder could
have had a different effect on throwing accuracy.

The

kinesiotape was also applied directly before the testing
began.

If the tape were to be applied for a longer period

of time, the tape may have an effect.
only had 5 throws at the target.

Also, the subjects

A higher number of throws

could have made a difference in the average throwing
accuracy for each subject. Baseball players were the only
subjects used in this study.

Other overhead sport athletes

such as softball, volleyball, or football players could be
used as subjects in future research.

Implications to the Profession

As an athletic trainer, this research can be useful in
different ways.

First, it helps to show that kinesiotape

has no effect on performance in overhead sport athletes.
This can mean that if an athlete has an injury and
kinesiotape is used as the intervention, the tape itself
will not harm or help the performance of overhead sport

22
athletes.

Since athletic trainers are always looking for

new ways to keep athletes active in their sport, this
research shows that using kinesiotape for performance
enhancement is not effective.

Conclusions

The results from this study conclude that kinesiotape
has no significant effect on throwing accuracy in overhead
sport athletes.

This study also suggests that pitchers are

no more accurate than position players in baseball with the
application of kinesiotape. These conclusions are made
specifically from the acute effects of kinesiotape.

Longer

lasting effects of kinesiotape have not been determined
from this study.

23

References

1.

Thelen MD, Dauber JA, Stoneman PD. The clinical
efficacy of kinesio tape for shoulder pain: a
randomized, double-blinded, clinical trial. J Orthop
Sports Phys Ther. July 2008;38:389-395.

2.

Tieh-Cheng F, Wong AMK, Yu-Cheng P, Wu KP, Shih-Wei C,
Yin-Chou L. Effect of kinesio taping on muscle
strength in athletes – a pilot study. J Sports Sci
Med. 2008;11:198-201.

3.

Kahanov L. Kinesio taping, part 1: an overview of its
use in athletes. Athl Ther Today. May 2007;12:17-18.

4.

Zajt-Kwiatkowska, J, Rajkowska-Labon E, Skrobot W,
Bakula S, Szamotulska J. Application of kinesio taping
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5.

Aytar A, Ozunlu N, Ozgur S, Baltaci G, Oztop P,
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6.

Garcia-Muro F, Rodriguez-Fernandez AL, Herrero-deLucas A. Treatment of myofascial pain in the shoulder
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7.

Bassett KT, Lingman SA, Ellis RF. The use and
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8.

Williams S, Whatman C, Hume PA, Sheerin K. Kinesio
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9.

Vithoulka I, Beneka A, Aggelousis N, Karatsolis K,
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24
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10.

Zahradnik D, Vaverka F, Gajda V. Optimisation of the
size of a target and the throwing distance during a
throw at a target for adults. Acta Univ. Palacki.
Olomuc, Gymn. 2008:38;39-45.

11.

Kaya E, Zinnuroglu M, Tugeu I. Kinesio taping
compared to physical therapy modalities for the
treatment of shoulder impingement syndrome. Clin
Rheumatol. 2011;30:201-207.

12.

Cortesi M, Cattanero D, Jonsdottir J. Effect of
kinesio taping on standing balance in subjects with
multiple sclerosis: a pilot study.
NeuroRehabilitation. 2011;28:365-372.

13.

Marban RM, Rodriguez EF, Navarrete PI, Vega DM. The
effect of kinesio taping on calf’s injuries prevention
in triathletes during competition. Pilot experience.
J Hum Sport Exerc. 2011;6:305-308.

14.

Escamilla RF, Andrews JR. Shoulder muscle recruitment
patterns and related biomechanics during upper
extremity sports. Sports Med. 2009;39:569-590.

25

APPENDICES

26

APPENDIX A
Review of Literature

27

REVIEW OF LITERATURE

Understanding the biomechanics of an overhead throw is
an important factor to understanding what tape and type of
tape, if any, may be beneficial to improving accuracy.
Kinesiotape is becoming a very popular treatment in sports
medicine for athletes. One reason is that kinesiotape
claims to improve accuracy of fine motor movements.26
Overall there is a lack of research on the true effects of
kinesio tape in overhead throwing. The purpose of this
literature review is to examine the effects of kinesiotape
and compare those effects to the biomechanics of throwing
and throwing accuracy.

Biomechanics of Throwing

Recognizing the biomechanics of throwing for elite
female and male baseball pitchers was the main purpose of
the study done by Chu et al. Eleven female and eleven male
pitchers were chosen for the study.

The researchers

studied various kinematic elements of pitching as well as
velocity of the pitches. Results of the study stated that

28
female pitchers have very similar throwing biomechanics
with significant differences in certain kinematic elements
including instant of stride foot contact, foot contact to
ball release, and ball velocity.

This study concludes that

more research should be performed on female pitchers to
help improve the kinematic elements found to be different
among elite male pitchers.1
In another article, Fleisig discuss the biomechanics
of throwing and what factors could cause injury or harm.
With the different phases of throwing, there is a possible
risk for injury to the shoulder or elbow.

The arm cocking

phase is where the most potential for injury lies because
of the load of force as well as the position of the arm.2
Muscle activity of various activities overhead sports
such as the baseball pitch, football throw, windmill
softball pitch, volleyball serve and spike, tennis serve
and volley, baseball hitting and golf swing were examined
by Escamilla and Andrews to determine muscle recruitment
patterns. The different phases of throwing such as the
wind-up, stride, arm cocking, arm acceleration, and arm
deceleration were discussed.

The researchers concluded

that high rotator cuff muscle activity was generated to
help resist distractive forces in the overhead throw. Also,
peak scapular muscle activity is high during the arm

29
cocking phase and arm deceleration phases of baseball
pitching.

The researchers stated that knowing how much the

shoulder muscles are active during upper extremity sports
is important for training and rehabilitation of injuries.3
Flesig, Chu, Weber, and Andrews compared individual
variability in baseball pitching among various levels of
competition.

Ninety-three male baseball pitchers of all

age groups were chosen for this study.

Eleven kinematic,

four temporal, and six kinetic parameters were examined for
this study.

The results showed the largest standard

deviations tended to be with younger pitchers and lowered
as the pitchers increased in age.

Pitchers who pitched at

higher levels had less variability in their motions.

The

researchers concluded that no particular skill level has an
increased risk of injury due to the variations in joint
kinetics.4
The objective of a different study was to determine
the incidence of shoulder injuries in Division I athletes
to determine which injuries were among the most common for
overhead sport athletes.

Three hundred seventy-one male

and female athletes who participated in overhead sports
were chosen as subjects for the study. Each of the
athletes’ medical histories was examined to see what types
of injuries they had reported throughout their careers.

30
The results showed different types of injuries resulting
from playing different sports.

Researchers concluded that

prevention techniques are needed to lower the incidence of
the various shoulder injuries in overhead sport athletes.5

Taping for Injuries

The method of the recovery process following an
injury and presenting the application of Kinesio Tex tapes
on the example of chosen injuries and strains of the motor
system was the goal of the Zajt-Kwiatkowska et al. Subjects
chosen for their study were people with recent injuries.
The injuries included ankle sprains, tennis elbow,
inflammation of the biceps brachii tendon, tightness of the
front and lateral tibia fascial compartment, and
inflammation of the plantar aponeurosis.

The expected

results were that the application of the kinesio tape would
enhance the rehabilitation process by regulating the blood
and lymph circulation by decreasing their concentration in
the injured areas of the body.

Results from the study were

that all subjects had decreased pain and visible reduction
of edema.

This study concluded that kinesio tape reduces

pain, increases functional capability, and is a reliable
method of treatment.6

31
Another article written by Thelen et al examines the
short-term efficacy of kinesio tape for shoulder pain.
Forty-two college students with rotator cuff tendonitis or
impingement were selected for the study. Subjects were
randomly assigned to two different groups.

One group

received therapeutic kinesio tape while the other group
received sham kinesio tape. Self-reported pain and active
range of motion was measured. The tape was worn for two
consecutive 3-day intervals. Reported results consisted of
immediate improvement in pain-free shoulder abduction.

The

conclusion was made that kinesio tape can be of assistance
to improving pain-free range of motion.7
McMonnell et al investigated whether different
shoulder taping affects the kinematics of the shoulder in
both injured and previously injured athletes.

The subjects

used for this study were twenty-six college athletes who
participated in overhead sports.

Markers were placed on

the upper limbs and trunk during a seated throw.

The

athletes threw a handball into a net three different times.
McConnell’s tapings and McIntosh tapings were used for the
overhead athletes.

Different measures such as external

rotation, internal rotation, and range of motion were
measured.

The study reported that there was no significant

difference from the shoulder taping on external rotation

32
and internal rotation.

There was a significant difference

in external rotation, internal rotation, and range of
motion in the group of previously injured athletes.
taped, all three measurements were decreased.

When

The

researchers concluded that shoulder taping will have an
effect on external rotation, internal rotation, and range
of motion depending on previous injury status.8
The effects of elastic taping on throwing kinematics,
muscle activity, and strength of the scapular region in
baseball players who currently had shoulder impingement
were examined by another set of researchers.

Seventeen

baseball players who had shoulder impingement were chosen
for this study.

All of the subjects received kinesio

taping and a placebo taping.

Three-dimensional scapular

motion was measured along with EMG activities of the upper
and lower trapezius muscles, and the serratus anterior
muscle during arm elevation.

Strength of the lower

trapezius was obtained before and after the tapings were
applied. The results of this study showed that there was an
increase in scapular posterior tilt during arm raising and
increased lower trapezius muscle activity in the arm
lowering phase with kinesio tape compared to the placebo
tape. These researchers concluded that kinesio tape has a
positive effect on scapular motion and muscle performance.9

33
Acute effects of kinesio taping on pain, strength,
joint position sense and balance in patients with
patellofemoral pain syndrome were examined by Aytar et al.
Twenty-two subjects were used for this study and were
separated into two groups.

One group received kinesio tape

while the other group received a placebo tape.

The

subjects were assessed before and 45 minutes after the
application of the tape.

Significant differences were

reported between the strength of the quadriceps muscle at
60 and 180 degrees and static and dynamic balance scores
before and after the taping application.

The researchers

concluded that kinesio tape is not an effective treatment
for patients with patellofemoral pain syndrome when trying
to decrease pain and improve joint position awareness.10
The goal of the researchers who wrote this review was
to evaluate the effectiveness of kinesio tape in the
treatment and prevention of sports injuries. Numerous
databases were searched to find articles relating to the
topic. The topics of discussion for this review were the
benefits of kinesio taping and its effects on pain, range
of movement, strength, proprioception, and muscle activity.
The review concluded that kinesio tape could have a
beneficial effect on strength, force sense error, and
active range of motion. There was little evidence to

34
support kinesio tape for pain, ankle proprioception, or
muscle activity.

The researchers suggest that future

studies focus on the efficacy of kinesio tape in the
treatment of injuries in sporting cohorts.

They also

suggest appropriate blinding of subjects should be used as
well.11
The effects of kinesiotape for patellar tendinopathy
were examined by Pope et al. They state that kinesiotape is
thought to assist overworked muscles.

The wave pattern of

the tape has been believed to help reduce inflammation,
improve circulation, reduce edema, and reduce pressure on
pain receptors.

The U-Strip technique was used in this

application article.12
The researchers of this article wanted to examine the
effects of kinesio tape and exercise as treatment for a
brachial plexus injury.
the subject.

A two-year old female was used as

Treatment consisted of a brace, electric

stimulation, parent education on exercise and taping, and
kinesio tape.

The results of the study showed that after

two weeks, four weeks, ten weeks, and twenty weeks, the
child had shown improvements in various different aspects.
The researchers concluded that kinesio tape and parent
education on exercise made a significant difference in the
child’s function.13

35
Examining the relationship between fastball velocity
and variations in throwing mechanics was the main idea from
the researchers of this article.

Nineteen baseball

pitchers were chosen as subjects for this study. Six to ten
fastball pitch trials were observed. Different independent
effects were measured. Seven of these effects were kinetic,
eleven were temporal, and twelve were kinematic.

The

results showed that elbow flexion torque, shoulder proximal
force, and elbow proximal force were the only kinetic
factors associated with ball velocity. Only two temporal
parameters had an effect on ball velocity. These were
increased time to max shoulder horizontal adduction and
decreased time to max shoulder internal rotation. Three
kinematic factors had an effect on ball velocity as well.
These factors were decreased shoulder horizontal adduction
at foot contact, decreased shoulder abduction during
acceleration, and increased truck tilt forward at release.
The study concluded that pitchers should focus on
consistent mechanics to produce high fastball velocities.
Also, shoulder and elbow musculature should be strengthened
to help prevent injuries.14
The objective from the authors of this particular
article is to assess the effectiveness and costeffectiveness of physical therapy care in combination with

36
a particular tape technique for sub acromial impingement
syndrome when compared to only physical therapy care.

For

the study 140 patients were chosen. They were then split
into two groups.

One group received the intervention of

the taping technique with physical therapy care and the
other group received only physical therapy care with no
tape.

The researchers studied shoulder-specific function

using the Simple Shoulder Test and pain severity using an
eleven-point scale.

Data was collected at baseline, four

weeks, twelve weeks, and twenty-six weeks as a follow-up.
The taping had proved to have promising outcomes dealing
with pain relief and function improvement, however, there
needs to be much more research done on the topic.15
Identifying strength deficits of isokinetic muscle
performance of the scapular muscles between overhead
athletes with impingement symptoms and uninjured athletes
was the goal of the researchers of this article.16 Thirty
overhead athletes with impingement symptoms and thirty
overhead athletes with no history of shoulder pain were
selected for this study. The intervention was a linearretraction movement in the scapular plain at two different
velocities.

Isokinetic strength for protraction and

retraction ratios for the two different velocities was
measured. The results showed that athletes with impingement

37
syndrome showed decreased force output at both velocities
in the protractor muscles.

Researchers for this study

concluded that overhead athletes with impingement symptoms
did have strength deficits and muscular imbalance of the
scapular muscles when compared to uninjured athletes.16
The purpose of the article written by Laudner et al
was to compare the relationship between glenohumeral
external-rotation strength and posterior shoulder tightness
measured by glenohumeral horizontal-adduction and internalrotation range of motion.

Forty-five professional baseball

players were used as subjects. External-rotation and
horizontal-adduction and internal-rotation range of motion
were measured.

The results showed that there was no

relation between external-rotation strength and horizontaladduction or internal-rotation range of motion.

The

researchers concluded that there is little relationship
between external-rotation strength and posterior shoulder
tightness in professional baseball players.17

Throwing Accuracy

One study was used to determine the kinematic
differences between dominant and non-dominant arm throwing
techniques.

Subjects for the study were seven high

38
performance cricket players in the under seventeen and
under nineteen age groups.

Three-dimensional kinematic

variables were measured for each throw.

The results showed

that speed of the throws were significantly faster than
throws for accuracy with both the dominant and non-dominant
arms.

Throws for accuracy were significantly more accurate

with the dominant arm compared to the non-dominant arm.
For the event timing, speed was much quicker for dominant
arm throws than non-dominant arm throws.

Stride length was

also significantly longer compared to non-dominant arm
throws.

Lower body kinematics were better when measuring

speed than accuracy for both the dominant and non-dominant
arm throws.

More elbow flexion was present in the dominant

arm throws for both speed and accuracy when compared to
non-dominant arm throws.

Trunk rotation was also much

greater with the dominant arm throws.

The researchers

concluded that dominant arm throws are able to maintain a
higher speed and still be accurate.

Non-dominant arm

throws can be accurate but have a much lower speed.18
The main idea of the article by Escamilla et al was to
find out how throwing velocity and accuracy are affected by
throwing overweight and underweight baseballs.

They looked

at multiple different studies that had been performed on
this topic.

Two studies reported in their article stated

39
that throwing with overweight baseballs helped to improve
throwing accuracy and velocity while other studies referred
to in this article proved that there was no significant
difference. Escamilla et al stated that there are many
different factors to look at and that more evidence is
needed to come to a true conclusion.19
The effects of resisted and assisted training using
different weight balls on ball speed and accuracy in
baseball pitching was examined by Morimoto et al.

Eight

college baseball players were chosen as the subjects of
this study.

A standard 145-gram baseball was used along

with either two heavier or lighter balls with weights
increased or decreased by 10% respectively.

Each subject

pitched under four different conditions. The first
condition was pitching the weighted ball only. The subjects
pitched the only the lightened ball as the second
condition.

Subjects then pitched the standard ball only.

The last condition was pitching all three balls in order of
weighted, standard, and lightened.

The subjects pitched

six to eighteen pitches under each condition followed by
throwing five pitches using the standard ball. A radar gun
was used to measure the ball speed and the accuracy was
measured using video digitizing system.

The results showed

that ball speed increased when ball weight decreased, and

40
ball speed also increased after throwing the lightened ball
and after throwing all three types of balls.

No

significant difference was found for accuracy among any
trial.

The researchers concluded that these results

clarify the immediate effects of throwing different.

20

Van Den Tillaar and Ettema wanted to examine the
effects of instruction on performance and kinematics of
overarm throwing.
or both.

The emphasis was on velocity, accuracy

Subjects for this study were nine experience male

team handball players.

Five different types of

instructions were used in this study.

The first one was

having the subjects throw the ball as hard as possible with
no concern of accuracy.

The second instruction was for the

velocity to be more important than the accuracy.

For the

third instruction, velocity and accuracy were both
important.

The fourth instruction was for accuracy to be

the main concern and the velocity to be the second concern.
For the fifth and final instruction, accuracy was the main
concern.

Ball velocity was measured using a three-

dimensional digital video movement analysis system.
Markers were placed on various sports to help determine the
velocity.

Accuracy was measured with a video camera twelve

meters from the goal.

Under the instructions, ball

velocity was significantly affected but no significant

41
change occurred for accuracy.

The conclusion was made that

regardless of the type of instruction, the subjects did not
change their kinematics.21
The main objective from the researchers of an
additional study was to determine the effects of a
cryotherapy application on shoulder proprioception and
throwing accuracy.

Twenty-two college-aged participants

were selected for the study.

An ice pack was placed on the

dominant shoulder for twenty minutes.

The researchers

evaluated active joint position replication, path of joint
motion replication, and the Functional Throwing Performance
Index.

The results of the study showed that there was an

increase in deviation for path of motion replication.
There was also a decrease in functional throwing
performance after the ice pack was used.

The researchers

then concluded that proprioception and throwing accuracy
are decreased after application of an ice pack to the
shoulder.22
Lust et al wanted to determine the effects of a sixweek training program on throwing accuracy, proprioception,
and core endurance in baseball athletes.

Nineteen baseball

players and a control group of fifteen baseball players
were used for this study.23 Two six-week training programs
including open kinetic chain, closed kinetic chain, and

42
core stabilization exercises were progressed each week.
The researchers measured functional throwing performance
index, closed kinetic chain upper extremity stability test,
back-extensor test, forty-five degree abdominal fatigue
test, and right and left side bridging test.

The results

state that there was no significant increase between the
groups but an increase was marked in all pretest and
posttest results.

This study concluded that the training

programs could be used to help throwing accuracy,
proprioception and core endurance in baseball.23
Throwing velocity and accuracy in elite and sub-elite
cricket players was evaluated by another set of
researchers. One hundred and ten cricket players were
selected for the study.

Subjects were assessed by a

specific cricket throwing test that looked at maximal
throwing velocity and throwing accuracy at maximal throwing
velocity.

The results showed that there were high speeds

when no accuracy was involved.
to throw for accuracy.

Speed was lower when having

The researchers also concluded that

sex, training experience, and training volume have an
effect on velocity and accuracy.24

43
Effects of Kinesiotape

The perception of pain after competition in
triathletes using kinesiotape was evaluated by Marban et
al.

Six male triathletes were used for this study.

Kinesio tape was applied to their calves one to two hours
before their competition.

After the race was over the

triathletes were evaluated about the pain they felt and/or
soreness of the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles.

The

results were that none of the triathletes had experienced
any cramps or contractures of the calf muscles as well as
rating pain at a two or less.

Researchers of the study

concluded that kinesio tape helped prevent cramps and
contractures during competition as well as helped decrease
perceived pain.25
One set of authors wanted to examine the effects of
kinesiotape on body stability.

The fifteen subjects

selected for this study were patients with multiple
sclerosis.

Kinesiotape was applied to both calves of the

patients and was to be kept on for two days.

Researchers

measured static balance as well as made an assessment of
calf muscles at the beginning of the study.

A visual

analogic scale was also used to assess the patients walking
perception.

All measurements were taken before, during,

44
and after the kinesiotape had been applied.

The results of

the study showed no statistically difference in the
mediolateral axis for sway.

However, there was a

significant difference with the length of sway.

The

researchers concluded that the use of kinesiotape does have
a positive effect in helping establish better body
posture.26
Other researchers performed a study to examine the
effects of kinesiotape on muscle strength in the quadriceps
and hamstring muscles.

Seven male and seven female

athletes were used in this study.
had no current knee injuries.

All of these athletes

An isokinetic dynamometer

measured strength of the subjects without taping,
immediately after taping, and twelve hours after taping.
The results determined that there was no increase or
decrease in muscle strength in healthy athletes. The
researchers stated that this study on kinesiotape does not
support that its effects will increase strength.27
A group of authors from another study were examining
the failure and fatigue properties of commonly used
athletic tape.

Johnson & Johnson tape, Leukotape, and

Jaylastic tape were the materials used for this study.

A

hydraulic mechanical testing system (MTS) was used testing
load-to-failure, fatigue testing under load control, and

45
fatigue testing under displacement control.

There were

significant differences in failure load, elongation at
failure, and stiffness in failure tests.

Significant

differences were also found in fatigue behavior under both
modes of control.

The researchers of this study concluded

that knowing the shortcomings of available tape and the
results of these tests can help to produce better tape
designs of the future.28
The efficacy of kinesiotape compared to physical
therapy modalities in patients with shoulder impingement
syndrome was the main goal of another set of authors.

A

total of fifty-five subjects were used in this study.
Thirty of the patients received kinesiotape as their
treatment while the rest received the physical therapy
modalities.

The kinesiotape group received the tape three

times in intervals of three days while the modalities group
received the modality treatment daily for two weeks.

The

Disability of Arm, Shoulder, and Hand Scale was used to
evaluate treatment. Evaluations were performed at baseline,
week one and week two of the study.

Results of the study

showed that kinesiotape had been found to be more effective
than modalities at the first week of treatment and similar
results were found during the second week.

The conclusion

46
was made that kinesiotaping may be used as an alternative
treatment option for shoulder impingement syndrome.29
Kahanov wanted to familiarize and enhance health care
professionals with kinesiotaping.

It discusses the theory

of the effects it has on injuries in athletes.

This

article concluded that kinesiotape could be used as an
effective form of treatment for various different things
but more research needs to be performed.

30

Summary

After reviewing the literature, it is apparent that
more research is needed to prove whether or not kinesiotape
is effective in increasing overhead throwing accuracy.

The

literature also states that the biomechanics of throwing
may have an effect on throwing accuracy.

If this is the

case, kinesiotape may potentially have an effect on
biomechanics which would indirectly affect throwing
accuracy.

When it comes to baseball and softball players,

each athlete will have their own individual way of
throwing.

If an athlete has an injury to the upper

extremity, it is possible that kinesiotape could affect
throwing accuracy when it is being used as an intervention.

47

APPENDIX B
The Problem

48
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The purpose of the study is to examine the effect of
kinesiotape on overhead throwing accuracy in baseball and
softball players. Possible benefit to using this type of
tape for injuries as well as performance enhancement will
be examined.

Definition of Terms
The following definitions of terms will be defined for
this study:
1) Kinesiotape – thin, cotton, permeable fabric that has
non-mediated qualities.

It is latex free with acrylic

adhesive that allows it to be worn for multiple days
at a time. Kinesiotape is theorized to help with
numerous physiological effects after injury.30
2) Throwing accuracy – the average distance from all
throws to the center of the target.

Basic Assumptions
The following are basic assumptions of this study:
1) The subjects will be honest when they complete their
demographic sheets.

49
2) The subjects will perform to the best of their ability
during testing sessions under all conditions.
3) The tape application will be consistent from subject
to subject.
4) Because the subjects are NCAA Division II baseball
players, they are expected to be accurate in throws.

Limitations of the Study
The following are possible limitations of the study:
1) The validity of the target has not been established.
2) The accuracy of throws from the subjects may vary
based upon many variables.

Delimitations of the Study
The following are possible delimitations of the study:
1) Only two of several different kinesiotape applications
for the shoulder were used in this study.
2) The subjects used were California University of PA
NCAA Division II baseball players.
3) All targets were hand-drawn by the researcher.

Significance of the Study
The significance of the study is crucial to the up and
coming use of kinesiotape in athletics.30 With all of the

50
possible positive effects of kinesiotape, it is important
to know how this tape affects performance.

6,7,10,11,27,30-33

Since baseball players require their throwing mechanics to
be accurate at all times, it is essential that their
performance not be hindered by a therapeutic intervention.

51

APPENDIX C
Additional Methods

52

Appendix C1
Figures and Target

53

Figure 1. Kinesiotape Pectoralis Major Inhibition

Figure 2. Kinesiotape Rhomboid Major Facilitation

54

Warm-up
Listed in a down/back format
Perform 2 times before preceding to throwing
1. Jog/Backwards Run
2. Side Shuffle/Side Shuffle (Face the same way)
3. High Knees/Butt Kicks
4. Leg Over Carioca/Leg Over Carioca (Face the same way
5. High Leg Kicks/Jog
6. Yoga Movements
Figure 3. Warm-up Protocol

55

Figure 4. Target

56

APPENDIX C2
Informed Consent Form

57

58

59

60

Appendix C3
Data Collection Sheet

61

Subject Number_____________________________________

Gender________________________________

Position______________________________________________

Taping Condition____________________

Training Session Number__________________________

Throwing
Condition

Accuracy
(CM)

Velocity
(KPH)

Comments:

Notes:

Warm Up 5 Warm
Complete Up
Throws
Complete

Throw
1

Throw
2

Throw
3

Throw
4

Throw
5

62

Appendix C4
IRB Approval

63

From: instreviewboard
Sent: Friday, March 01, 2013 5:57 PM
To: POD2829 - PODROSKEY, ERIN
Cc: West, Thomas
Subject: IRB approval for proposal # 12-042

Institutional Review Board
California University of Pennsylvania
Morgan Hall, Room 310
250 University Avenue
California, PA 15419
instreviewboard@calu.edu
Robert Skwarecki, Ph.D., CCC-SLP,Chair

Dear Erin Podroskey and Ryan Davis:
Please consider this email as official notification that your
proposal titled "The Acute Effects of Kinesiotape on Throwing Accuracy in
Overhead Sport Athletes” & "The Acute Effects of Kinesiotape on Throwing
Velocity" (Proposal #12-042) has been approved by the
California University of Pennsylvania Institutional Review Board as
submitted.
The effective date of the approval is 3-1-2013 and the expiration date is 228-2014. These dates must appear on the consent form .
Please note that Federal Policy requires that you notify the IRB promptly
regarding any of the following:
(1) Any additions or changes in procedures you might wish for your study
(additions or changes must be approved by the IRB before they are
implemented)
(2) Any events that affect the safety or well-being of subjects
(3) Any modifications of your study or other responses that are necessitated
by any events reported in (2).
(4) To continue your research beyond the approval expiration date of 2-282014you must file additional information to be considered for continuing
review. Please contact instreviewboard@calu.edu
Please notify the Board when data collection is complete.
Regards,
Robert Skwarecki, Ph.D., CCC-SLP
Chair, Institutional Review Board

64

REFERENCES

1.

Chu Y, Fleisig G, Simpson K, Andrews J. Biomechanical
comparison between elite female and male baseball
pitchers. J Appl Biomech. 2009;25:22-31.

2.

Fleisig, G. Biomechanics of baseball pitching:
implications for injury and performance. Sports
Biomech. July 2010:46-50.

3.

Escamilla RF, Andrews JR. Shoulder muscle recruitment
patterns and related biomechanics during upper
extremity sports. Sports Med. 2009;39:569-590.

4.

Flesig, G, Chu, Y, Weber, A, Andrews, J. Variability
in baseball pitching biomechanics among various levels
of competition. Sports Biomech. 2009;8:10-21.

5.

Laudner K, Sipes R. The incidence of shoulder injury
among collegiate overhead athletes. Journal of
Intercollegiate Sport. 2002;2:260-268.

6.

Zajt-Kwiatkowska, J, Rajkowska-Labon E, Skrobot W,
Bakula S, Szamotulska J. Application of kinesio taping
for treatment of sports injuries. Research Yearbook.
2007;13:130-134.

7.

Thelen MD, Dauber JA, Stoneman PD. The clinical
efficacy of kinesio tape for shoulder pain: a
randomized, double-blinded, clinical trial. J Orthop
Sports Phys Ther. July 2008;38:389-395.

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ABSTRACT

TITLE:

The Acute Effects of Kinesiotape on Throwing
Accuracy in Collegiate Baseball Players

RESEARCHER:

Erin Podroskey, ATC, PES

ADVISOR:

Ellen J. West, EdD, ATC

DATE:

May 2013

RESEARCH TYPE: Master’s Thesis
PURPOSE:

The purpose of this study was to examine the
effects of kinesiotape on throwing accuracy
in overhead sport athletes.

PROBLEM:

The effects of kinesiotape have not been
examined for its outcomes on performance
enhancement.

METHOD:

This research is a quasi-experimental,
within subjects, repeated measures design.
All subjects threw 5 throws at a target
under three taping conditions (no tape,
placebo tape, and kinesiotape). Application
of kinesiotape was applied for pectoralis
major inhibition and rhomboid major
facilitation. After the tape was applied, a
warm-up was performed prior to testing.
Throwing accuracy was measured by taking the
average distance from the center of the
target for all five throws.

FINDINGS:

Kinesiotape had no significant effect on
throwing accuracy compared to no tape and
placebo tape. The position played in sport
with the addition of kinesiotape also had no
significant effect on throwing accuracy.

CONCLUSION:

Based on the findings from this study, there
are no acute effects of kinesiotape on
throwing accuracy in overhead sport
athletes.