While these Beijing Games may have marked the general public’s wide awareness of Speedo’s LZR Racer swiwsuit the NY Times has noted it has also put a little know athletic tape brand Kinesio on the global stage as well – thanks in part to Canada’s Greco Roman wrestler Ari Taub.

“…the company simply donated 50,000 rolls of the tape to 58 countries for use at the Olympic Games. But whether its appearance on the international athletic scene is a sign of its therapeutic benefit or just smart marketing remains to be seen.

Traditionally, white athletic tapes are wrapped around gauze to form a stiff bandage that immobilizes a joint or muscle. By comparison, the 100-percent cotton Kinesio tape is said to be modeled on the thickness and elasticity of real skin. The flexible tape is applied to the skin in specific patterns, depending on the injury, a technique designed to create support and guide injured muscles and joints without limiting the athlete’s range of motion.

“This tape moves with the body, so the biomechanics are still there,’’ said John Jarvis, director of Kinesio USA. “

Read the full article here.