The Effect of Exercise, Prewrap, and Athletic Tape on the Maximal Active and Passive Ankle Resistance to Ankle Inversion

This investigation explored alternatives to the null hy-potheses that maximal active and passive resistance to inversion developed by a near-maximally inverted and weightbearing ankle is not altered by 1) the use of prophylactic adhesive athletic tape, 2) the use of non-adhesive prewrap (underwrap), or 3) 40 minutes of vigorous exercise. Ten healthy men and 10 healthy women (mean age, 25 ± 3 years) with no recent ankle injuries underwent testing to determine maximal ankle resistance to inversion under unipedal, weightbearing conditions. Tests were performed with and without the support of athletic tape, and before and after 40 min-utes of exercise. Half the testing sessions were per-formed with prewrap under the tape. At 15° of inver