Have you ever watched major competitions like the Olympics or the Ironman Triathlon and wondered what those brightly-colored strips of tape were on the athlete’s shoulders, calves, knees, and elbows? You’re in the right place. While those pieces of tape may look (and often work) like magic, they’re all science. Today we're diving into how kinesiology tape works.
Kinesiology tape, also known as K tape, shouldn’t be confused for traditional cloth athletic tape. Before K tape was born in the 1970’s, stiff cloth tape was used to immobilize joints like ankles and wrists to prevent them from bending. Athletic tape’s aggressive adhesive is too strong for direct skin contact and would only be used over a thin foam wrap.
Kinesiology tape is applied directly to the skin – which is key to how it works. When expertly applied by physical therapists or well-trained personal trainers, K tape’s adhesion grabs the skin while its elasticity lifts skin away from the tissues below while allowing a full range of motion for the athlete. By pulling the skin up in strategic locations around injuries, the body’s natural healing fluids are exchanged faster and more frequently. K tape is often used to treat shin splints, plantar fasciitis, knee pain, forearm tendonitis, and more to allow the body to heal itself pill-free.
GO Sleeves were designed to combine the benefits of K tape and compression while being reusable and quick to apply. GO Sleeves are cheaper, faster, and simpler than kinesiology tape products, while being more effective than traditional compression sleeves. They can be worn during your activity AND after for pain relief and faster recovery. 
GO Sleeves offer the first and only compression sleeve products with built-in kinesiology taping technology that supports key joints, ligaments, and tendons. Every sleeve contains silicone strips that trigger natural pain reduction, increase recuperating blood flow, and aid in lymphatic drainage. They are super-lightweight, breathable, washable, and reusable. GO Sleeves currently offer knee sleeves, calf sleeves, and elbow sleeves.
Josiah Middaugh is the Head of Performance Science for GO Sleeves. Josiah is a 15-Time XTERRA USA Off-Road Triathlon National Champion and 2015 XTERRA World Champion.
Recent XTERRA Hall-of-Fame inductee Josiah Middaugh’s achievements precede him with 15 XTERRA USA National Championship wins, a 2015 XTERRA World Champion Title, 3 Fat Bike World Championship wins, and 6 USSSA National Snowshoe Championships. He’s a pro on and off the track, with a Master's degree in Kinesiology and his own premier athlete coaching business. Middaugh understands the importance of injury prevention, management, and recovery – making him the perfect GO Sleeves team athlete to share how GO Sleeves have helped him and the clients he coaches in their recovery and training regimens.
Learn more about Josiah’s coaching practice for endurance athletes at middaughcoaching.com.
