Snow, ice, speed, and impact—winter sports demand a unique combination of strength, control, and durability. To better understand how athletes stay supported in these extreme conditions, we worked directly with members of the KT Sports Medical Advisory Board, including Dr. Shea Stark, DC, CCSP, ICSC, EMT, and Dr. Chris Harper, PT, DPT, OCS, to gather insider insights on how KT Tape is used across winter sports.
Dr. Stark is a sports chiropractor with advanced training in sports performance and emergency medical response, while Dr. Harper brings extensive experience in working with high-level and endurance athletes. Together, they shared practical, real-world guidance on why winter athletes rely on KT Tape—along with expert tips for taping in cold, snowy environments.
As the Official Kinesiology Tape of Team USA, KT Tape is used on the world’s biggest stage to help support muscles and joints, manage fatigue, and maintain mobility when conditions are at their toughest.
Why Winter Athletes Turn to KT Tape
1. Support for Hard-Working Muscles & Joints
Winter sports place heavy, repetitive loads on the lower body—especially the knees, ankles, hips, and lower back. KT Tape provides lightweight support that can help steady joints and reduce strain without limiting mobility.
Sports chiropractor Dr. Shea Stark explains: “For most winter athletes, the lower extremities take the brunt of the workload. KT Tape is often used to help offload tissues and provide relief during high-load and overuse movements.”
2. Improved Body Awareness in Cold Conditions
Cold weather can reduce skin sensitivity and slow muscle activation, which may affect balance and stability. KT Tape adds sensory feedback to help the body maintain joint position and movement control—especially helpful in fast-paced or high-impact snow and ice environments.
3. Support for Fatigue, Soreness & Recovery
Repeated downhill runs, powerful skating strides, and shock absorption from landings can lead to tired muscles and delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). KT Tape may assist in promoting microcirculation, helping the body naturally manage post-activity soreness.
4. Managing Swelling After Falls or Impacts
Falls are part of the territory in many winter sports. When swelling occurs, specialized lymphatic taping patterns can help reduce puffiness and improve comfort.
5. Comfort Through Repetitive Strain
By stimulating nerve pathways associated with pain modulation, KT Tape can help athletes stay more comfortable during long training sessions or multi-run events.
Most Common Areas Taped in Winter Sports
While every sport has its own demands, these areas see the highest taping frequency across winter disciplines:
- Knees – support during carving, squatting, edging, and landing
- Ankles – stability on uneven terrain and during directional changes
- Lower back – comfort and posture control during rotation and impact
- Shoulders – overhead movement and balance demands in sports like bobsled, hockey, and freestyle skiing
These placements offer support where athletes feel the greatest cumulative stress throughout training and competition.
Cold-Weather Taping: Tips from Sports Medicine Pros
Winter conditions create unique challenges for kinesiology tape—cold skin, dry air, moisture, and friction can all impact adhesion. KT Tape’s sports medicine experts use these best practices to ensure strong, reliable applications:
- Start With Clean, Dry Skin: Dry winter air often leads to flaky skin, which can reduce adhesion. Avoid lotions or oils, and wipe the area with alcohol before applying tape.
- Warm the Skin First: KT Tape adheres best to warm skin. Use a hand rub, heat pack, or apply indoors to help the adhesive bond properly.
- Activate the Adhesive: After applying the tape, rub it for 10–15 seconds to activate the heat-sensitive adhesive. This is especially important when temperatures are low.
- Round the Corners & Use Anchor Strips: Cold weather gear like ski pants, base layers, and pads can create friction. Rounding corners or adding small anchor strips helps prevent edge lifting.
- Adjust Stretch for Comfort: Tape can feel slightly stiffer in the cold. Many providers use 5–10% less stretch for improved comfort in chilly conditions.
- Choose the Right Tape for the Elements: Water-resistant tapes—such as KT Tape Pro® and KT Tape Pro Extreme®—offer additional durability for snowy, wet, or high-sweat environments.
- Keep Tape Warm Before Use: Trainers often store rolls in a pocket or inner jacket layer so the adhesive stays pliable before application.
- Use Pre-cut Tape for Quick Transitions: For multi-run events, pre-cut strips allows athletes to get taped quickly between heats without the need for precise on-the-spot measuring.
Fun Fact: When KT Tape Went Viral in Winter Sports
During the last global winter sporting cycle, KT Tape unexpectedly made headlines when downhill skiers were seen using it on their faces as a barrier against icy wind and windburn. While creative, this is not an approved or recommended use, as the strong adhesive can cause irritation if removed improperly. Still, it showcased the remarkable dedication and ingenuity of winter athletes—and sparked worldwide conversation around kinesiology tape.
KT Tape & Team USA
As the Official Kinesiology Tape of Team USA, KT Tape is proud to support athletes pushing their limits in some of the world’s most demanding winter environments. Whether you’re carving down mountains, skating on fresh ice, or preparing for your next cold-weather adventure, KT Tape offers tools designed to help keep you moving comfortably and confidently.
