Boxers use sports tape, also known as boxing wraps, to protect and support their hands and wrists while boxing. This helps prevent injuries such as sprains, fractures, and tendon inflammation, which can result from the impact of punches.
The tape and handwraps provide extra stability and prevent the hands and wrists from moving too much while punching.
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 punches.
- Stability: the tape and handwraps provide extra stability and support for the hand and wrist, reducing the risk of injuries.
- Preventing overuse: the support provided by the tape helps the hands and wrists cope better with repeated strain during boxing.
- Improved performance: the support and stability provided by the tape can also improve the boxer's performance.
- Added protection under boxing gloves: sports tape is often used together with boxing gloves for extra protection and support
For training: regular boxing handwraps
Please note: most boxers, kickboxers, and other combat sports 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 ringside doctor.
Learning how to tape properly is an art, and you can help many athletes with this skill. The examples above are the best known, but taping can also help with bruises, sprains, and other injuries. Even bruised ribs are sometimes taped to relieve and support them to some extent.
Use sports tape for support and injury prevention
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 to prevent injuries.
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 helps relieve pain and promote recovery.
Good sports tape, such as that from McDavid 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!
