Until better data come in, it remains possible that the tape provides more of a psychological benefit than a physical one -- its mere presence reminding athletes to be careful with a sore area or providing confidence through a sense that something is being done to help with healing.

"I've seen on the playing field and in clinics that people are getting a benefit from it," said Mary Ann Willmarth, a doctor of physical therapy at Harvard University Health Services in Cambridge, Mass. "We need the studies now to prove from an evidence-based standpoint that it's actually the tape that's doing it and not something else. I'm really curious to see what the studies will show."

Traditionally, athletes have used athletic tape like braces to prevent injuries by limiting movement in joints, particularly ankles or wrists, said Adam Knight, a sports biomechanist at Mississippi State University. And plenty of studies show that ankle taping reduces strain and helps prevent sprains.