Tape trick: could a sticky strip beat Post-Workout pain?
NCT ID NCT04128670
First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 2 times
Summary
This study tests whether Kinesio tape, a special stretchy tape placed on the skin, can reduce muscle soreness after hard exercise. Thirty-six healthy adults aged 18 to 30 will have the tape applied to their upper arm for up to 72 hours. Researchers will measure pain, range of motion, and strength to see if the tape helps recovery.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Kinesio tape (a stretchy adhesive tape applied to the skin)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could point toward a simple, drug-free way to ease muscle soreness after exercise.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage trial with only 36 people, so results may not apply to everyone. The effect may be small or no better than no tape.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 36 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Jan 2020
- Expected to finish
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May 2026
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 to 30 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * 18 to 30 years old Exclusion Criteria: * Participating in any strengthening exercises or activities of the upper extremities for the past month. * Regularly (\~2x per month) participating in strengthening exercises or activities that include lengthening actions of the upper extremity for the past 6 months. * An answer of yes to any of the seven questions on the first page of the 2019 Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire \[PAR-Q: 16\] indicating that the subject is not physically ready for exercise without a medical exam. These exclusions include the following: * If participant's doctor has ever said that he/she has a heart condition or high blood pressure * Pain in chest at rest, during daily activities of living, or when doing physical activity * If participant has ever lost balance because of dizziness or has lost consciousness in the past 12 months * If the participant currently has (or have had within the past 12 months) a bone, joint, or soft tissue (muscle, ligament, or tendon) problem that could be made worse by becoming more physically activity * If participant is currently taking prescribed medications for a chronic medical condition * If the participant's doctor has ever told them that they should only do medically supervised physical activity. * Currently taking nutritional supplements or anti-inflammatory medication on a daily basis * Any injury or surgery to the neck or upper extremity in the past 6 months * Open or scabbed wounds in the arm area to be taped * Known allergies to the tape or medical adhesive bandages * If skin irritation develops to the tape Session exclusion criteria: ● Taking over-the-counter pain medications on days of testing, prior to testing sessions, including acetaminophen (Tylenol) and nonsteroidal inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), including ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil) or naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn).
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis
RECRUITINGIndianapolis, Indiana, 46202, United States
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