Effectiveness of Dynamic Taping Combined with Resistance Band Training on Dynamic Balance, Jumping Performance, Agility, Sprint Speed and Lower Limb Strength among Young Male Football Players: A Pilot Study

Introduction: Football, a high-intensity sport, requires abilities such as dynamic balance, agility, jumping performance, sprint speed, and lower limb strength. These demands place repetitive stress on the hips, knees, and ankles of young individuals, making them susceptible to lower limb injuries such as hamstring strains, ankle sprains, Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) tears, meniscus injuries, Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome (PFPS), and shin splints. Dynamic taping is an advanced intervention in sports physiotherapy that differs from classic kinesiology taping in its biomechanical properties and uses. Dynamic taping provides additional features, including multidirectional joint support, enhanced joint stability, and proprioceptive feedback, without limiting joint movement. Its unique elasticity allows for greater force absorption and enhanced neuromuscular control. The combination of dynamic taping with Resistance Band Training (RBT) may suggest a coactive strategy to improve athletic performance and reduce injury risk. However, the evidence to support this vital combination remains limited. Aim: To investigate the effectiveness of dynamic taping combined with RBT on key performance factors in young football athletes. Materials and Methods: This pilot study was conducted at the Growing Star Sports Club in Delhi, India, from December 2024 to January 2025 with a total sample size of 12 participants who were selected and allocated to either the experimental group, which engaged in dynamic taping combined with resistance band exercises, or the control group, which performed only resistance band exercises, using simple random sampling. Double blinding was used during assessments to minimise bias. Vertical jump, sprint speed, Y-balance test (YBT), t-test agility, and lower limb strength were evaluated before and after the 4-week intervention (3 sessions per week). The analysis was performed using descriptive statistics and paired-samples t-tests. Results: The baseline characteristics of participants in the control (n=6) and experimental (n=6) groups were comparable in terms of age (15.67±1.03 vs. 15.83±0.75 years) and Body Mass Index (BMI) (20.21±1.22 vs. 19.54±0.94). Post-intervention, the experimental group showed greater improvements in vertical jump, lower limb strength, agility, balance, and sprint speed, with significant effect sizes (Cohen’s d: vertical jump d=4.73, agility d=2.48). Strong correlations were found between improvements in lower limb strength (r=0.88) and balance (r=0.86) (p<0.05). Conclusion: The findings of the study suggest that dynamic taping combined with RBT can significantly enhance key athletic performance measures in football players.