Dr Falk Mersmann discussed the hows and whys of building tendon strength
Sep 17, 2024
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Dr. Falk Mersmann, head of a research group at Humboldt University, specializes in muscle and tendon biomechanics. He reveals the crucial balance between tendon stiffness and muscle strength to prevent injuries. Personalized tendon loading strategies can enhance adaptations, while simplistic activities like running alone aren't enough for tendon health. He dispels myths about stretching reducing stiffness and argues that plyometrics might not boost tendon strength. Mersmann emphasizes understanding mechanical stiffness for effective injury prevention in athletes.
Balancing tendon stiffness and muscle strength is crucial to prevent tendinopathy and enhance overall athletic performance.
Personalized tendon loading strategies can effectively improve tendon strength and stiffness while reducing the risk of overuse injuries.
Deep dives
Understanding Tendon Adaptation to Loading
Tendons adapt differently compared to muscles when exposed to mechanical loading, emphasizing the importance of loading intensity and duration. While muscles can adapt quickly and exhibit hypertrophy through various loading types, tendons require higher strains to stimulate their cellular activity and improve stiffness. This adaptation is often delayed; muscle strength can increase even when tendon stiffness remains unchanged, which can lead to an imbalance. When this imbalance increases, particularly under high loading conditions, it can predispose athletes to tendinopathy due to excessive strain on the tendon.
Risks Associated with Plyometric Loading
Plyometric loading has been identified as a common factor influencing the prevalence of tendinopathy in athletes, especially in sports involving jumps. The effectiveness of this loading type varies among individuals, with some showing increased tendon stiffness while others may not respond adequately. This inconsistency can lead to uneven stimulation of tendon cells and potentially result in micro-tears. Consequently, plyometric training alone may not adequately prepare tendons for the mechanical demands, increasing the risk of overuse injuries.
Personalized Approaches to Tendon Training
A personalized approach to tendon training aims to identify specific loading requirements for athletes based on their individual responses and existing muscle-tendon imbalances. It is proposed that higher loading intensities, particularly during isometric exercises, can effectively enhance tendon stiffness while accommodating muscle strength dynamics. Research indicates that limited and specific training protocols can yield significant improvements in tendon stiffness without requiring exhaustive training volumes. This suggests a need for tailored training regimens that effectively promote tendon adaptation while preventing injuries.
Another very practical and pragmatic podcast. Dr Falk Mersmann is a leader in how tendons adapt to load and I would say an accidental leader in the minumum effective dose to get tendons to adapt.
Some topics we covered:
Why having a good balance between tendon stiffness and muscle strength is important for tendinopathy prevention and treatment
How personalized tendon loading can address this potential risk factor
Specifics of tendon loading to achieve tendon positive tendon adaptations (e.g increasing stiffness).
Why plyometrics don’t seem to influence tendon strength
Why only doing the goal activity (e.g running) may not be enough for a healthy tendon
Why stretching can’t decrease tendon stiffness
Limitations of shear wave elastography versus measuring mechanical stiffness