What is tape olympians are wearing

What about the Olympics stands out to you? Log in. Shop Categories. Shop Categories Aids for Daily Living. Incontinence Products. Infection Control Supplies. Ostomy Supplies. Personal Care. Respiratory Care. Shop Brands. Read Articles. Sign In. It could be an example of the placebo effect, the phenomenon when people feel better after taking a pill, even though it might be inactive. Even just that simple act of re-familiarization with the athlete's own body may help give them the feeling that their body is aligned and whole — and ready to compete.

But kinesio tape alone probably won't make injuries go away, Grier adds. He recommends tending to sports injuries with remedies including physical therapy, icing and taking over-the-counter pain relievers, like aspirin or ibuprofen.

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They've also been known for wearing those skimpy uniforms. Now, something that's covering their skin is getting a lot of attention. It's called kinesio tape. The tape has been around for decades, but during the London Olympics, it has been spotted stretching and spiraling in interesting patterns on some athletes.

German beach volleyball star Katrin Holtwick wore bright blue bits of it running up and down her six-pack abs. Even ping-pong players were reportedly wearing it.

With its Olympic popularity, athletic trainers say you can bet you will see a lot more of the tape at your local gym or on the playing field this year. Paul Ullucci Jr. The highs and lows of the Olympic 'crying games'. Ullucci says he keeps the tape as a tool to help improve balance in athletes, and says it helps prevent excessive protraction injuries -- in layman's terms, shoulder problems from activities including playing tennis. If you put the soft and stretchy cotton tape in the right area, Ullucci says, it will pull at your skin when you start to overextend your arm, reminding you not to.

Because the tape is thin and pliable, it's different from athletic tape used on ankles or wrists, he says. That kind of tape keeps the injured joint from bending to prevent further injury.