OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to analyze the influence of the ankle functional tape on long fibular reaction time in health subjects. METHODS: The sample was composed of eight physically active male subjects, without ankle injury history and with negative results on ankle joint instabilities tests. The instruments used in this research were an ankle functional tape(closed boot type), a platform capable to 30° frontal inclination and an eight-channel electromyograph (Bortec Electronics Incorporation, Canada) for the electrical signals acquisition. The EMG signals were collected concomitantly to the platform (synchronism). Data were collected in two moments: firstly without tape and immediately after, with the tape. RESULTS: The subject average age was 23.3 years (± 2.8), body mass of 74.4 kg (± 9.4), height of 1.7 m (± 0.4) and BMI of 23.7 kg/m2. The research found statistically significant difference of p = 0.018 when the subjects were using the functional ankle tape, with a decreasing of reaction time in long fibular. CONCLUSION: We believe that this increase is related to the close contact of the functional tape with the ankle cutaneous receptors, increasing the fibular reflex activation, with a consequent proprioceptive gain and hence increasing the subjects' ability to respond to sudden ankle sprains. The study showed decrease in long fibular reaction time of health subjects while using this kind of ankle tape when submitted to a sudden lateral ankle inclination.
ankle; bandage; electromyographic response time
