Introduction
injuries
CONTRACTION
Most sports injuries occur in the middle and late stages of competition or practice and are correlated to some extent with fatigueBalance is an essential ability for athletes. Techniques in sports such as gymnastics, ball games, and track and field are particularly demanding with respect to balance, making it essential for athletic performanceRegarding static balance, standing is the most functional stance for postural assessment. The ability to control the ankle joint while standing is an essential factor affecting standing balanceKinesio tape (KT) is a widely available auxiliary device with a proven ability to enhance proprioceptive input in many studiesFurther studies have found that KT can improve proprioception in subjectsHowever, previous studies focused primarily on the coordination of a single muscle and did not test the overall contraction performance and coordination of the muscle group simultaneously. In addition, opinions differ about facilitation and inhibition taping methodsAlthough KT has been demonstrated to improve proprioception, such as joint position sense and force senseIt was hypothesized that the facilitation taping group would perform better on balance and sensory tests than the other two groups. Because of the role of the gastrocnemius muscle in balance and stability, KT interventions involving different taping directions were used for the gastrocnemius muscle to determine whether the direction of KT application can produce significant benefits in terms of the function, sensation, and performance of the gastrocnemius muscle.