Does high load and high strain exercise have any benefit for Achilles tendinopathy?

We have known for a while that type of exercise intervention (e.g. intensity, frequency, etc) does not seem to influence self reported outcomes such as pain. Maybe all the benefits from exercise are explained by non-specific effects, or maybe exercise has benefits that do not depend on the type of exercise.

In this episode, I discuss 3 studies that look into (at least partly) other benefits that we may see at the level of the muscle and tendon from higher load exercise interventions.

References:

Radovanovi, G., Kunz, J., Bohm, S., Arampatzis, A. and Legerlotz, K., 2021. Reliable and effective novel home-based training set-up for application of an evidence-based high-loading stimulus to improve triceps surae function. Journal of Sports Sciences, 39(24), pp.2786-2795.

Radovanovi?, G., Bohm, S., Peper, K.K., Arampatzis, A. and Legerlotz, K., 2022. Evidence-Based High-Loading Tendon Exercise for 12 Weeks Leads to Increased Tendon Stiffness and Cross-Sectional Area in Achilles Tendinopathy: A Controlled Clinical Trial. Sports Medicine-Open, 8(1), pp.1-19.

Radovanovi, G., Bohm, S., Arampatzis, A. and Legerlotz, K., 2023. In Achilles Tendinopathy the Symptomatic Tendon Differs from the Asymptomatic Tendon While Exercise Therapy Has Little Effect on Asymmetries—An Ancillary Analysis of Data from a Controlled Clinical Trial. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 12(3),