scholarly journals Triceps surae muscle-tendon properties in older endurance- and sprint-trained athletes

2016 ◽  
Vol 120 (1) ◽  
pp. 63-69 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauri Stenroth ◽  
Neil J. Cronin ◽  
Jussi Peltonen ◽  
Marko T. Korhonen ◽  
Sarianna Sipilä ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Achilles Tendon ◽  
Young’S Modulus ◽  
Young's Modulus ◽  
Muscle Architecture ◽  
Triceps Surae ◽  
Training Experience ◽  
Tendon Stiffness ◽  
Triceps Surae Muscle ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Tendon Properties

Previous studies have shown that aging is associated with alterations in muscle architecture and tendon properties (Morse CI, Thom JM, Birch KM, Narici MV. Acta Physiol Scand 183: 291–298, 2005; Narici MV, Maganaris CN, Reeves ND, Capodaglio P. J Appl Physiol 95: 2229–2234, 2003; Stenroth L, Peltonen J, Cronin NJ, Sipila S, Finni T. J Appl Physiol 113: 1537–1544, 2012). However, the possible influence of different types of regular exercise loading on muscle architecture and tendon properties in older adults is poorly understood. To address this, triceps surae muscle-tendon properties were examined in older male endurance (OE, n = 10, age = 74.0 ± 2.8 yr) and sprint runners (OS, n = 10, age = 74.4 ± 2.8 yr), with an average of 42 yr of regular training experience, and compared with age-matched [older control (OC), n = 33, age = 74.8 ± 3.6 yr] and young untrained controls (YC, n = 18, age = 23.7 ± 2.0 yr). Compared with YC, Achilles tendon cross-sectional area (CSA) was 22% ( P = 0.022), 45% ( P = 0.001), and 71% ( P < 0.001) larger in OC, OE, and OS, respectively. Among older groups, OS had significantly larger tendon CSA compared with OC ( P = 0.033). No significant between-group differences were observed in Achilles tendon stiffness. In older groups, Young's modulus was 31-44%, and maximal tendon stress 44–55% lower, than in YC ( P ≤ 0.001). OE showed shorter soleus fascicle length than both OC ( P < 0.05) and YC ( P < 0.05). These data suggest that long-term running does not counteract the previously reported age-related increase in tendon CSA, but, instead, may have an additive effect. The greatest Achilles tendon CSA was observed in OS followed by OE and OC, suggesting that adaptation to running exercise is loading intensity dependent. Achilles tendon stiffness was maintained in older groups, even though all older groups displayed larger tendon CSA and lower tendon Young's modulus. Shorter soleus muscle fascicles in OE runners may be an adaptation to life-long endurance running.

Age-related differences in Achilles tendon properties and triceps surae muscle architecture in vivo

2012 ◽  
Vol 113 (10) ◽  
pp. 1537-1544 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauri Stenroth ◽  
Jussi Peltonen ◽  
Neil J. Cronin ◽  
Sarianna Sipilä ◽  
Taija Finni
Keyword(s):  
Achilles Tendon ◽  
Young’S Modulus ◽  
Young's Modulus ◽  
Cross Sectional Area ◽  
Triceps Surae ◽  
Sectional Area ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Tendon Stiffness ◽  
Triceps Surae Muscle ◽  
Age Related

This study examined the concurrent age-related differences in muscle and tendon structure and properties. Achilles tendon morphology and mechanical properties and triceps surae muscle architecture were measured from 100 subjects [33 young (24 ± 2 yr) and 67 old (75 ± 3 yr)]. Motion analysis-assisted ultrasonography was used to determine tendon stiffness, Young's modulus, and hysteresis during isometric ramp contractions. Ultrasonography was used to measure muscle architectural features and size and tendon cross-sectional area. Older participants had 17% lower ( P < 0.01) Achilles tendon stiffness and 32% lower ( P < 0.001) Young's modulus than young participants. Tendon cross-sectional area was also 16% larger ( P < 0.001) in older participants. Triceps surae muscle size was smaller ( P < 0.05) and gastrocnemius medialis muscle fascicle length shorter ( P < 0.05) in old compared with young. Maximal plantarflexion force was associated with tendon stiffness and Young's modulus ( r = 0.580, P < 0.001 and r = 0.561, P < 0.001, respectively). Comparison between old and young subjects with similar strengths did not reveal a difference in tendon stiffness. The results suggest that regardless of age, Achilles tendon mechanical properties adapt to match the level of muscle performance. Old people may compensate for lower tendon material properties by increasing tendon cross-sectional area. Lower tendon stiffness in older subjects might be beneficial for movement economy in low-intensity locomotion and thus optimized for their daily activities.

scholarly journals Biomechanics and Exercise

2015 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 34-38
Author(s):  
Thomas D. O’Brien
Keyword(s):  
Achilles Tendon ◽  
Young’S Modulus ◽  
Young's Modulus ◽  
Plantar Flexion ◽  
Tendon Injury ◽  
Time Curve ◽  
Tendon Stiffness ◽  
Prepubertal Children ◽  
Experimental Group ◽  
Tendon Properties

Children develop lower levels of muscle force, and at slower rates, than adults. While strength training in children is expected to reduce this differential, a synchronous adaptation in the tendon must be achieved to ensure forces continue to be transmitted to the skeleton with efficiency while minimizing the risk of strainrelated tendon injury. We hypothesized that resistance training (RT) would alter tendon mechanical properties in children concomitantly with changes in force production characteristics. Twenty prepubertal children (8.9 ± 0.3 years) were equally divided into control (nontraining) and experimental (training) groups. The training group completed a 10-week RT intervention consisting of 2-3 sets of 8-15 plantar flexion contractions performed twice weekly on a recumbent calf raise machine. Achilles tendon properties (cross-sectional area, elongation, stress, strain, stiffness and Young’s modulus), electromechanical delay (EMD; time between the onset of muscle activity and force), rate of force development (RFD; slope of the force-time curve) and rate of EMG increase (REI; slope of the EMG-time curve) were measured before and after RT. Tendon stiffness and Young’s modulus increased significantly after RT in the experimental group only (~29% and ~25%, respectively); all other tendon properties were not significantly altered, although there were mean decreases in both peak tendon strain and strain at a given force level (14% and 24%, respectively, n.s) which may have implications for tendon injury risk and muscle fiber mechanics. A ~13% decrease in EMD was found after RT for the experimental group which paralleled the increase in tendon stiffness (r = −0.59), however RFD and REI were unchanged. The present data show that the Achilles tendon adapts to RT in prepubertal children and is paralleled by a change in EMD, although the magnitude of this change did not appear to be sufficient to influence RFD. These findings are of potential importance within the context of the efficiency and execution of movement.

Resistance Training in Children

2015 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-17
Author(s):  
Bareket Falk
Keyword(s):  
Resistance Training ◽  
Achilles Tendon ◽  
Young’S Modulus ◽  
Young's Modulus ◽  
Tendon Injury ◽  
Time Curve ◽  
Tendon Stiffness ◽  
Prepubertal Children ◽  
Experimental Group ◽  
Tendon Properties

Children develop lower levels of muscle force, and at slower rates, than adults. Although strength training in children is expected to reduce this differential, a synchronous adaptation in the tendon must be achieved to ensure forces continue to be transmitted to the skeleton with efficiency while minimizing the risk of strain- related tendon injury. We hypothesized that resistance training (RT) would alter tendon mechanical properties in children concomitantly with changes in force production characteristics. Twenty prepubertal children (age 8.9 ± 0.3 yr) were equally divided into control (nontraining) and experimental (training) groups. The training group completed a l0-week RT intervention consisting of 2–3 sets of 8–15 plantar flexion contractions performed twice weekly on a recumbent calf-raise machine. Achilles tendon properties (cross-sectional area, elongation, stress, strain, stiffness, and Young’s modulus), electromechanical delay (EMD; time between the onset of muscle activity and force), rate of force development (RFD; slope of the force-time curve), and rate of electromyographic (EMG) increase (REI; slope of the EMG time curve) were measured before and after RT. Tendon stiffness and Young’s modulus increased significantly after RT in the experimental group only (~29% and ~25%, respectively); all other tendon properties were not significantly altered, although there were mean decreases in both peak tendon strain and strain at a given force level (14% and 24%, respectively; not significant) which may have implications for tendon injury risk and muscle fiber mechanics. A decrease of ~13% in EMD was found after RT for the experimental group, which paralleled the increase in tendon stiffness (r = −0.59); however, RFD and REI were unchanged. The present data show that the Achilles tendon adapts to RT in prepubertal children and is paralleled by a change in EMD, although the magnitude of this change did not appear to be sufficient to influence RFD. These findings are of importance within the context of the efficiency and execution of movement.

scholarly journals Triceps Surae Muscle-Tendon Properties as Determinants of the Metabolic Cost in Trained Long-Distance Runners

2022 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Esthevan Machado ◽  
Fábio Juner Lanferdini ◽  
Edson Soares da Silva ◽  
Jeam Marcel Geremia ◽  
Francesca Chaida Sonda ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Achilles Tendon ◽  
Young’S Modulus ◽  
Young's Modulus ◽  
Plantar Flexion ◽  
Metabolic Cost ◽  
Muscle Architecture ◽  
Triceps Surae ◽  
Distance Runners ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Cross Sectional

Purpose: This study aimed to determine whether triceps surae’s muscle architecture and Achilles tendon parameters are related to running metabolic cost (C) in trained long-distance runners.Methods: Seventeen trained male recreational long-distance runners (mean age = 34 years) participated in this study. C was measured during submaximal steady-state running (5 min) at 12 and 16 km h–1 on a treadmill. Ultrasound was used to determine the gastrocnemius medialis (GM), gastrocnemius lateralis (GL), and soleus (SO) muscle architecture, including fascicle length (FL) and pennation angle (PA), and the Achilles tendon cross-sectional area (CSA), resting length and elongation as a function of plantar flexion torque during maximal voluntary plantar flexion. Achilles tendon mechanical (force, elongation, and stiffness) and material (stress, strain, and Young’s modulus) properties were determined. Stepwise multiple linear regressions were used to determine the relationship between independent variables (tendon resting length, CSA, force, elongation, stiffness, stress, strain, Young’s modulus, and FL and PA of triceps surae muscles) and C (J kg–1m–1) at 12 and 16 km h–1.Results: SO PA and Achilles tendon CSA were negatively associated with C (r2 = 0.69; p &lt; 0.001) at 12 km h–1, whereas SO PA was negatively and Achilles tendon stress was positively associated with C (r2 = 0.63; p = 0.001) at 16 km h–1, respectively. Our results presented a small power, and the multiple linear regression’s cause-effect relation was limited due to the low sample size.Conclusion: For a given muscle length, greater SO PA, probably related to short muscle fibers and to a large physiological cross-sectional area, may be beneficial to C. Larger Achilles tendon CSA may determine a better force distribution per tendon area, thereby reducing tendon stress and C at submaximal speeds (12 and 16 km h–1). Furthermore, Achilles tendon morphological and mechanical properties (CSA, stress, and Young’s modulus) and triceps surae muscle architecture (GM PA, GM FL, SO PA, and SO FL) presented large correlations with C.

scholarly journals Older Adults Overcome Reduced Triceps Surae Structural Stiffness to Preserve Ankle Joint Quasi-Stiffness During Walking

2020 ◽  
Vol 36 (4) ◽  
pp. 209-216
Author(s):  
Rebecca L. Krupenevich ◽  
William H. Clark ◽  
Gregory S. Sawicki ◽  
Jason R. Franz
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Achilles Tendon ◽  
Ankle Joint ◽  
Muscle Activation ◽  
Muscle Stiffness ◽  
Triceps Surae ◽  
Triceps Surae Muscle ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Lower Ankle Joint

Ankle joint quasi-stiffness is an aggregate measure of the interaction between triceps surae muscle stiffness and Achilles tendon stiffness. This interaction may be altered due to age-related changes in the structural properties and functional behavior of the Achilles tendon and triceps surae muscles. The authors hypothesized that, due to a more compliant of Achilles’ tendon, older adults would exhibit lower ankle joint quasi-stiffness than young adults during walking and during isolated contractions at matched triceps surae muscle activations. The authors also hypothesized that, independent of age, triceps surae muscle stiffness and ankle joint quasi-stiffness would increase with triceps surae muscle activation. The authors used conventional gait analysis in one experiment and, in another, electromyographic biofeedback and in vivo ultrasound imaging applied during isolated contractions. The authors found no difference in ankle joint quasi-stiffness between young and older adults during walking. Conversely, this study found that (1) young and older adults modulated ankle joint quasi-stiffness via activation-dependent changes in triceps surae muscle length–tension behavior and (2) at matched activation, older adults exhibited lower ankle joint quasi-stiffness than young adults. Despite age-related reductions during isolated contractions, ankle joint quasi-stiffness was maintained in older adults during walking, which may be governed via activation-mediated increases in muscle stiffness.

Tendinopathy alters mechanical and material properties of the Achilles tendon

2010 ◽  
Vol 108 (3) ◽  
pp. 670-675 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shruti Arya ◽  
Kornelia Kulig
Keyword(s):  
Achilles Tendon ◽  
Young’S Modulus ◽  
Material Properties ◽  
Young's Modulus ◽  
Treatment Strategies ◽  
Achilles Tendinopathy ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Tendon Stiffness ◽  
And Gender

The purpose of this study was to investigate the in vivo material and mechanical properties of the human Achilles tendon in the presence of tendinopathy. Real-time ultrasound imaging and dynamometry were used to assess Achilles tendon stiffness, Young's modulus, stress, strain, and cross-sectional area (CSA) in 12 individuals with Achilles tendinopathy and 12 age- and gender-matched controls. The results of this study suggest that tendinopathy weakens the mechanical and material properties of the tendon. Tendinopathic tendons had greater CSA, lower tendon stiffness, and lower Young's modulus. These alterations in mechanical characteristics may put the Achilles tendon at a higher risk to sustain further injury and prolong the time to recovery. Results from this study may be used to design treatment strategies that specifically target these deficits, leading to faster and permanent recovery from tendinopathy.

scholarly journals Reduction in tendon elasticity from unloading is unrelated to its hypertrophy

2010 ◽  
Vol 109 (3) ◽  
pp. 870-877 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryuta Kinugasa ◽  
John A. Hodgson ◽  
V. Reggie Edgerton ◽  
David D. Shin ◽  
Shantanu Sinha
Keyword(s):  
Achilles Tendon ◽  
Young’S Modulus ◽  
Young's Modulus ◽  
Plantar Flexion ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Strain Curve ◽  
Medial Gastrocnemius ◽  
Morphological Properties ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Tendon Stiffness

Tendinous tissues respond to chronic unloading with adaptive changes in mechanical, elastic, and morphological properties. However, little is known about the changes in the detailed structures of the entire tendinous tissue and whether the change in tendon stiffness is related to morphology. We investigated changes in dimensional (volume, cross-sectional area, segmented lengths) and elastic (Young's modulus) properties of the Achilles tendon and distal aponeurosis in response to chronic unilateral lower limb suspension (ULLS) using velocity encoded phase contrast (VE-PC) and three-dimensional morphometric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Five healthy subjects underwent ULLS for 4 wk. Axial morphometric MRI was acquired along the entire length from the calcaneous to the medial gastrocnemius insertion. An oblique sagittal VE-PC MRI was also acquired. The Young's modulus could be calculated from this cine dynamic sequence of velocity encoded images from the slope of the stress-strain curve during the submaximal isometric plantar flexion. After 4 wk of ULLS, we found significant (46.7%) decrease in maximum plantar flexion torque. The total volumes of entire tendinous tissue (determined as the sum of the Achilles tendon and distal aponeurosis) increased significantly by 6.4% (11.9 vs. 12.7 ml) after ULLS. In contrast, Young's modulus decreased significantly by 10.4% (211.7 vs. 189.6 MPa) for the Achilles tendon and 29.0% for the distal aponeurosis (158.8 vs. 113.0 MPa) following ULLS. There was no significant correlation between relative change in volume and Young's modulus with 4 wk of ULLS. It is suggested that, although tendon hypertrophy can be expected to adversely affect tendon stiffness, the absence of any significant correlation between the magnitude of tendon hypertrophy and reduced Young's modulus indicates that dimensional factors were not critical to the elastic properties.

scholarly journals Reduced Achilles Tendon Stiffness Disrupts Calf Muscle Neuromechanics in Elderly Gait

Gerontology ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Rebecca L. Krupenevich ◽  
Owen N. Beck ◽  
Gregory S. Sawicki ◽  
Jason R. Franz
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Achilles Tendon ◽  
Metabolic Cost ◽  
Calf Muscle ◽  
Metabolic Energy ◽  
Joint Work ◽  
Tendon Stiffness ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Ankle Muscle ◽  
Metabolic Energy Expenditure

Older adults walk slower and with a higher metabolic energy expenditure than younger adults. In this review, we explore the hypothesis that age-related declines in Achilles tendon stiffness increase the metabolic cost of walking due to less economical calf muscle contractions and increased proximal joint work. This viewpoint may motivate interventions to restore ankle muscle-tendon stiffness, improve walking mechanics, and reduce metabolic cost in older adults.

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