Best Athletic Tape for Any Athlete in Your Life

Cramps, spasms, muscle tears, sprains, and many more are among the many risks athletes encounter when doing their thing on the field or track. So to avoid or reduce the risk of injury, some measures are taken by sportsmen and women, one of which is athletic tapes. Think of athletic tapes as thin, often sticky materials applied to athletes’ skins to protect them from injury or aid recovery from one.

The major standout features of athletic tapes are their ability to stick properly to the skin and their elasticity. Some athletic tapes are more elastic than others, which means they can be used for distinct functions. These functions will be discussed in the coming sections.

What Are the Functions of Athletic Tape?

The most basic function of athletic tape is to restrict muscle group or joint movement. The effects of this restriction include injury prevention, muscle growth, and fast healing. A few of the applications of athletic tapes are discussed below.

Protection

In some sports, certain body parts of athletes are put at risk of factors such as physical contact with other athletes or fast-moving sporting equipment. Also, the use of some sporting equipment can be quite dangerous, since they may cause sprains and other forms of internal injury and no one wants that.

In both of these cases, athletic tapes may be used as a form of protection, with the aim of either reducing or totally eliminating the risk of injury. For instance, the best athletic tapes can protect baseball players from hurting their fingers due to the constant swinging of a baseball bat. Also, basketball players that use athletic tape on their fingers are generally safer from the dangers of mishandling the ball or clashing fingers with other players.

Targeting Specific Muscle Groups

Another noteworthy function of athletic tapes is that they can train specific muscles in the body. This method is employed when athletes want to exercise or build a set of muscles.

Speeding Up Healing

Apart from protecting an injury from occurring, athletic tapes can also enhance the healing process of injured muscles or joints. They work by restricting the movement of these body parts, thereby allowing them to heal and shielding them from impact by external forces.

Cramp Prevention

Another unique function of athletic tapes is the prevention of muscle spasms and cramps. When applied to the skin, the best athletic tapes slightly lift the skin, creating some room between muscles and the skin. This space allows for increased blood flow, reducing the chances of getting muscle cramps and spasms.

What Factors Do You Need to Consider When Choosing Athletic Tapes?

Here are some crucial points that you need to have in mind when making an athletic tape purchase.

Material

Knowing what material an athletic tape is made from before you buy it is crucial because some materials have higher quality than others. Athletic tapes made of poor materials will diminish easily, lose water resistance, and not stick to the skin long enough.

You should know that that the most common material in top-notch athletic tapes is cotton with an elastic core to make them stretchy.

Waterproof

The best athletic tapes are always resistant to water. This feature allows them to stick to the skin optimally and for longer.

Elasticity

As mentioned earlier, some athletic tapes are made to be more flexible than others, and this factor affects their functionalities. For example, early generation athletic tapes were not elastic, which made them limit movement to a great extent. On the other hand, new generation units are designed to allow more movement than traditional athletic tapes due to their highly elastic nature. So, depending on how much you want to restrict movement, the elasticity of the athletic tape that you purchase is an important aspect to bear in mind.

Color

Everyone knows that visual appearance matters, even in the world of sports. So if you are a fashion enthusiast with a particular color preference, or you just want to turn up in style, simply go for colorful and stylish athletic tapes. When you consider the fact that professional athletes have colored wears, the available color options for athletic tapes allow sportsmen and women to find a color that suits their jersey or uniform.

Allergies

Another consideration to make regarding athletic tapes is whether their material is hypoallergenic. People’s skins are different and, therefore, react to various substances differently. And because athletic tapes can be worn for extended amounts of time, you should check if you have allergies to any of the tape’s constituents before buying it. Common allergic substances like latex are often excluded from the production process of high-quality athletic tapes.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

People who are venturing into the world of athletic tapes have some common questions regarding the product. Here are some of these notable inquiries and answers to them.

Q: Is it safe to sleep with athletic tape on?

A: Yes, you can wear your athletic tape to sleep.

Muscle rehabilitation, which is done with athletic tapes, sometimes needs to be carried out round the clock. For this reason, athletic tapes are designed to be safe even when worn while asleep.

Q: Can I take my bath while wearing athletic tape?

A: Yes, you can keep your athletic tape on in the shower, but only if they are of top quality. High-quality athletic tapes are designed to be waterproof and will not come off when you undergo various physical activities.

Q: What type of injury should I use athletic tape for?

A: Athletic tapes are designed to be used for muscle or joint injuries such as sprains, strains, and swelling. Note that athletic tapes are not meant to be used on open wounds like cuts and burns.

Q: How much does athletic tape cost?

A: Different brands place different price tags on their athletic tape due to specific features. So depending on the number of rolls and overall quality, athletic tapes may cost anything from $6 to $30.