The importance of strong tendons

The importance of strong tendons for improving your sports performance and preventing injuries

Strength training offers many benefits for both health and presentation purposes.
Most attention is focused on muscles, bones, and joints, but tendons receive less attention. Tendons are connective tissue structures in the body that connect bones and muscles. They primarily assist in transmitting forces and are continuously subjected to tension during physical activities, enabling the body to perform movements.

Importance of strong tendons in sports

Good cooperation between muscles and tendons is important in general, but when it comes to performance and injury prevention, it deserves extra attention.
Particularly in sports where the body is heavily stressed, such as: running, volleyball, tennis, gymnastics, powerlifting, bodybuilding, and impact sports like football, field hockey, boxing, and kickboxing.

When a muscle contracts, the tendon is subsequently stretched. If a strong muscle pulls on a weak(er) tendon, the tendon will stretch too much. Regularly stretching too much can lead to micro-damage in the connective tissue. If this does not have sufficient time to recover, injuries occur.

This means that when a muscle becomes stronger, the tendon must also become stronger. An increase in tendon stiffness ensures that it stretches less and has proven protective against injury under equal or greater forces. Additionally, a stronger (stiff) tendon enhances performance because movement can be performed more efficiently. In short, stronger muscles therefore require stiffer tendons.

Tendon training in practice

You can train your tendons in multiple ways, but you can emphasize this even more by following the guidelines below.

Which strength exercises?

You can perform various exercises suitable for isometric (static) training. Isometric means that the muscles are contracted without any movement occurring in the body.

Consider this, for example:
-Calfraise for the Achilles tendon
-Leg press for the patellar tendon
-Chest press for tendons around the chest and shoulder

In what position?

The tendons must stretch slightly, to approximately 1.5 times the resting length of the muscles. For example, this is the neutral position at the ankle and 60 degrees for a knee bend. Also ensure that the exercises are stable to properly handle the force; fitness machines are therefore preferred.

How often do you train per week?

Two to three times a week is recommended for a noticeable effect. Perform 3-5 sets of 4 x 3 seconds (applying force) alternating with 3 seconds (relaxing). With 2-minute rest breaks between sets.

What training load / intensity?

A resistance of >85-90% of the maximum liftable weight is common to sufficiently stimulate the tendon. Do ensure a proper warm-up!

Where does it fit into the training session?

You can perform these exercises at multiple points in your training, but because tendon training requires significant resistance, it is not advisable to do so at the end of your workout due to built-up fatigue. Therefore, combine it with other exercises at the beginning of your training.

In summary, tendons are just as important as muscles for health and performance. By specifically training them with isometric exercises, in the right way and with the appropriate load, you can prevent tendons from becoming a limiting factor for your performance and prevent injuries.

Assignment:
Try adding an exercise to your current training schedule.

We hope this information is sufficient for you. If you have any doubts or questions regarding the specific application that suits your training goals and fitness level, it is advisable to consult a physical trainer or (sports) physiotherapist first.

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