Kubo Keitaro, Miyazaki Daisuke, Shimoju Shozo, Tsunoda Naoya
Department of Life Science (Sports Sciences), The University of Tokyo, Komaba 3-8-1, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, 153-8902, Japan,
Eur J Appl Physiol. 2015 Aug;115(8):1725-33. doi: 10.1007/s00421-015-3156-2. Epub 2015 Mar 27.
The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between running performance (best official record in a 5000 m race) and elastic properties of tendon structures in knee extensors and plantar flexors among a large population of long distance runners.
Sixty-four highly trained male long distance runners participated in this study. Elongation of tendon structures in the knee extensors and plantar flexors was measured using ultrasonography while subjects performed ramp isometric contractions up to the voluntary maximum. The relationship between the estimated muscle force and tendon elongation was fit to a linear regression, the slope of which was defined as the stiffness of the tendon structures. Muscle and tendon thicknesses were also measured in the knee extensors and plantar flexors using ultrasonography.
The best official record in a 5000 m race was negatively correlated to the stiffness of the tendon structures in the knee extensors (r = -0.341, p < 0.01), whereas it was positively correlated to the stiffness of the tendon structures in the plantar flexors (r = 0.414, p < 0.001). In both the knee extensors and plantar flexors, the other measured variables of muscle and tendon structures did not correlate with the best official record in a 5000 m race.
These results suggested that better long distance runners had stiffer tendon structures in the knee extensors and more compliant ones in the plantar flexors. These results implied that tendon structures in knee extensors and plantar flexors adapted to endurance running training and contributed to running performance of long distance runners separately.
本研究的目的是调查大量长跑运动员中跑步成绩（5000米比赛的最佳官方记录）与膝伸肌和跖屈肌肌腱结构弹性特性之间的关系。
64名训练有素的男性长跑运动员参与了本研究。在受试者进行逐渐增加负荷的等长收缩直至自主最大负荷时，使用超声测量膝伸肌和跖屈肌肌腱结构的伸长。将估计的肌肉力量与肌腱伸长之间的关系拟合为线性回归，其斜率定义为肌腱结构的刚度。还使用超声测量了膝伸肌和跖屈肌的肌肉和肌腱厚度。
5000米比赛的最佳官方记录与膝伸肌肌腱结构的刚度呈负相关（r = -0.341，p < 0.01），而与跖屈肌肌腱结构的刚度呈正相关（r = 0.414，p < 0.001）。在膝伸肌和跖屈肌中，肌肉和肌腱结构的其他测量变量与5000米比赛的最佳官方记录均无相关性。
这些结果表明，优秀的长跑运动员膝伸肌的肌腱结构更硬，而跖屈肌的肌腱结构更柔韧。这些结果意味着膝伸肌和跖屈肌的肌腱结构适应了耐力跑训练，并分别对长跑运动员的跑步成绩有贡献。
