Several athletes have been spotted using the Kinesio tape, which is a adhesive strapping designed to help get support for muscle and joint without restriction to movements, at the ongoing London Olympic Games 2012.

German beach volleyball player Ilka Semmler, Swedish handball player Johanna Wiberg, British sprinter Dwain Chambers and many others including senor sportsmen and women have been suing the tape on different parts of their bodies.

The Kinesio tape was developed by a doctor in Japan about three decades ago as a injury treatment. Kinesio's website says that the tape is also designed to be used in a particular taping technique that requires skills, which can be obtained through a special training course.

Even as the product is being widely used by people in the sporting world, its ability to relieve pain or improve muscle strength remains limited, according to some researchers. In a research review of all the works done on the tape in February, researchers found "little quality evidence to support the use of Kinesio tape over other types of elastic taping in the management or prevention of sports injuries".

The findings of the review were published in the Sports Medicine journal in February.

Kevin Anderson, managing director of Kinesio UK, said that the researchers must study more about the benefits of the tape, as experienced and noted by athletes and physiotherapists.