Tendon Aging: From Elasticity to Linearity

This episode features performance coach and tendon specialist Jake Tuura. Jake is an experienced coach and educator focusing on athlete hypertrophy, vertical jump improvement, and patellar tendinopathy rehabilitation. He spent seven years as a collegiate strength and conditioning coach as well as time in the private training sector. Connective tissue is critical in athletic movement and performance, but its relationship to both performance and the rehab process is still evolving. New research is continually coming out that is molding our understanding of what is really happening “under the hood” in training, and how to optimize processes to maximize tendon health and performance. On today’s podcast, Jake explores tendon science alongside athletic performance concepts. He covers ideas on animal tendon properties, age-related tendon changes, tendon stiffness vs. compliance, and the collagen matrix. On the performance end, Jake talks about the impacts of various training means on tendon adaptation, particularly various forms of isometric training, heavy strength training, plyometrics, and more. This was an awesome show connecting the latest tendon science with practical training solutions for healthier tendons and better athletic movement. Today’s episode is brought to you by TeamBuildr’s Gym Studio and the Just Fly Sports Online Courses. To learn more about the Sprint Acceleration Essentials, Elastic Essentials, or Speed ID courses, go to justflysports.thinkific.com Use the code “justfly25” for 25% off any Lila Exogen wearable resistance training, including the popular Exogen Calf Sleeves. For this offer, head to Lilateam.com View more podcast episodes at the podcast homepage. Main Points 6:42- Achilles Tendon Length Disparity: Humans vs. Deer. 9:33- Tendon Regeneration Discrepancy in Wild vs. Racehorses 21:55- Golgi Tendon Organ and Training Optimization 24:39- Age-Related Changes in Tendon Properties 26:44- Collagen Production Influencing Tendon Stiffness Adaptation 28:47- Tendon Compliance Impact on Athletic Performance 40:41- Preserving Tendon Elasticity for Athletic Longevity 45:38- Reframing Tendon Pain as a Healing Signal 53:14- Optimizing Joint Rotation for Enhanced Performance 1:04:41- Tendon Health and Aerobic Fitness Relationship 1:08:01- Tendon Health Benefits of Isometrics and Lifting 1:11:17- Tendon Strain Variability in Plyometric Training 1:16:24- Enhancing Performance Through Muscle-Tendon Synchronization in Plyometrics 1:21:54- Tendon-Focused Training Periodization Strategy Quotes (7:38) "It's crazy to see how long that (deer Achilles tendon) is and how little blood flow it gets and they're able to do what they do." - Jake Tuura (12:50) “I went hunting for three months. So I didn't, I didn't jump at all. It was winter, it was icy out. And then I go back to dunking and (the patellar tendon) blows up again. So it's like the man-made tendon issues are when you change things suddenly.” - Jake Tuura (21:49) "The worst thing you can do is completely take it away and then try to hop back in. I think it's going to blow up or maybe it's going to have a serious injury." - Jake Tuura (28:10) “The tendon gets pulled on and then the tendon has a, the cells have a response to get stiffer. So like if you pull on the tendon, let's say 10% of its resting length, which is a pretty big pull on a tendon. The tendon has this, this adaptation where the cells kick out more collagen. It lays down the collagen, the tendon to get stiffer.” - Jake Tuura (37:00) “Collagen fascicles don't really extend a whole lot. Yeah, like, their strain is very minimal. And the collagen fascicles have this helical rotation, which then is again, more extendability. The helical angle decreases as you get older because the gel is drying up and it becomes more linear.” - Jake Tuura (47:00) “You have to respect the many months process where it's going to reorient t...