Pirasteh Najmeh, Farpour Hamid Reza, Najafi Parisa, Jabbedari Mohammad Hossein
Student Research Committee, Department of physical medicine and rehabilitation, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
Orthopedic & rehabilitation research center, Department of physical medicine and rehabilitation, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
J Ultrasound. 2025 Jun;28(2):405-412. doi: 10.1007/s40477-025-01004-z. Epub 2025 Mar 9.
Healthy tendons are crucial for sportspersons to prevent injuries. While resistances exercise is known to increase muscle size and composition, its impact on tendon thickness remains unclear. This study investigated potential differences in tendon thickness between bodybuilders and non-sportsperson control group and their association with training intensity/duration in bodybuilders.
Forty men in the age range 18 to 40 were included in the study. Fifteen bodybuilders (2-3 weekly upper body resistance training sessions, moderate-to-high intensity, > 6 months) and 25 non-sportsperson controls participated. All were free of tendon injuries in the studied muscles (biceps, supraspinatus, infraspinatus). Two independent physiatrists measured tendon thickness using ultrasound.
No significant differences in tendon thickness were found between bodybuilders and non-sportsperson controls (dominant/non-dominant sides). However, within the bodybuilding group, tendon thickness showed strong positive correlations with both training intensity (r = 0.59-0.84) and exercise duration (r = 0.71-0.88).
This study found no overall group differences in tendon thickness between bodybuilders and non-sportsperson controls. However, for bodybuilders, increased training intensity and duration were associated with thicker tendons. Further research with larger samples and advanced techniques is warranted to understand the complex relationship between resistance training and tendon adaptations.
健康的肌腱对于运动员预防损伤至关重要。虽然已知抗阻训练可增加肌肉大小和组成，但其对肌腱厚度的影响仍不清楚。本研究调查了健美运动员与非运动员对照组之间肌腱厚度的潜在差异，以及它们与健美运动员训练强度/持续时间的关联。
本研究纳入了40名年龄在18至40岁之间的男性。15名健美运动员（每周进行2 - 3次上身抗阻训练，中等到高强度，>6个月）和25名非运动员对照组参与。所有研究对象所研究肌肉（肱二头肌、冈上肌、冈下肌）均无肌腱损伤。两名独立的物理治疗师使用超声测量肌腱厚度。
健美运动员与非运动员对照组之间（优势侧/非优势侧）肌腱厚度无显著差异。然而，在健美运动员组内，肌腱厚度与训练强度（r = 0.59 - 0.84）和运动持续时间（r = 0.71 - 0.88）均呈强正相关。
本研究发现健美运动员与非运动员对照组之间在肌腱厚度方面无总体组间差异。然而，对于健美运动员而言，训练强度和持续时间的增加与更厚的肌腱相关。有必要进行更大样本和采用先进技术的进一步研究，以了解抗阻训练与肌腱适应性之间的复杂关系。
