Boxers use sports tape, also known as boxing tape, to protect and support their hands and wrists during boxing. This helps prevent injuries such as sprains, fractures, and tendonitis, which can occur due to the impact of punches.
The tape and bandages provide extra stability and prevent the hands and wrists from moving too much during the impact.
Here are the main reasons why boxers use sports tape:
- Protection: Sports tape helps protect the vulnerable bones, joints, and tendons in the hands and wrists from the impact of impacts.
- Stability: The tape and bandages provide extra stability and support to the hand and wrist, reducing the risk of injury.
- Preventing overuse injuries: the support provided by the tape allows the hands and wrists to better cope with repeated stress during boxing.
- Improved performance: the support and stability provided by the tape can also improve the boxer's performance.
- Supplement to boxing gloves: sports tape is often used in combination with boxing gloves for extra protection and support.
Please note: most boxers, kickboxers and other (combat) athletes use regular handwraps during training. Taping with sports tape is mainly done during professional competitions and fights. This is usually applied by a specialist, trainer or sometimes even a ring doctor.
Proper taping is a skill that takes practice to learn, but it can help many athletes. The examples above are the most well-known, but you can also use it to help with bruises, sprains, and other injuries. Even bruised ribs are sometimes taped to provide some relief and support.
Sports tape and/or medical tape (such as kinesiology tape) can be used for support, pain relief, and recovery from sports injuries and overuse. It is also often used for injury prevention.
Taping as a (sports medicine) aid works by lifting the skin and underlying tissues. This reduces pressure in the desired areas and stimulates blood circulation. It also provides a massaging effect, which promotes pain relief and recovery.
Good sports tape, such as that from McDave and MSP ProTape, is elastic, skin-friendly and can be worn during sports and showering.
Please note that tape should always be applied by a professional and/or expert!
