ArticlePloS one2018
Changes in Achilles tendon stiffness and energy cost following a prolonged run in trained distance runners.
Article in PloS one, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 17 papers.
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Who cites it
17 citing papers in PubMed, 30 citations in OpenAlex.
- Stiffness and Running Performance: From the Tissue to the Body: A Narrative Review.Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.) · 2026Review
- Determinants of Physiological Resilience Among Recreational-To-Competitive Endurance Runners.Scandinavian journal of medicine & science in sports · 2026Article
- Changes in the mechanical properties of tendon structures in lower limbs during repetitive contractions in male long-distance runners.Physiological reports · 2026Article
- Effects of running distance on per-step and cumulative lower-extremity loading during a simulated treadmill half marathon.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- Toward a record-eligible sub-2-hour marathon: an updated integrative framework of Physiological, technological, and cognitive determinants.European journal of applied physiology · 2026Review
- Comparison of Calf Muscle and Achilles Tendon Stiffness Between Triathletes and Physically Active Controls: A Cross-Sectional Study Using Shear Wave Elastography.Translational sports medicine · 2025Article
- Stretching and Releasing of Iliotibial Band Complex in Patients with Iliotibial Band Syndrome: A Narrative Review.Journal of functional morphology and kinesiology · 2023Review
- How do differences in Achilles' tendon moment arm lengths affect muscle-tendon dynamics and energy cost during running?Frontiers in sports and active living · 2023Article
- Reliability of a New Indentometer Device for Measuring Myofascial Tissue Stiffness.Journal of clinical medicine · 2022Article
- Study of the Kinetics of the Determinants of Performance During a Mountain Ultramarathon: Multidisciplinary Protocol of the First Trail Scientifique de Clécy 2021.JMIR research protocols · 2022Article
- Sex Differences in Endurance Running.Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.) · 2022Review
- Exercise Effects on the Biomechanical Properties of the Achilles Tendon-A Narrative Review.Biology · 2022Review
- Epidemiology of NCAA Track and Field Injuries From 2010 to 2014.Orthopaedic journal of sports medicine · 2022Article
- Plasticity of the gastrocnemius elastic system in response to decreased work and power demand during growth.The Journal of experimental biology · 2021Article
- Performance determinants, running energetics and spatiotemporal gait parameters during a treadmill ultramarathon.European journal of applied physiology · 2021Article
- Track distance runners exhibit bilateral differences in the plantar fascia stiffness.Scientific reports · 2021Article
- Medial Gastrocnemius Muscle Architecture Is Altered After Exhaustive Stretch-Shortening Cycle Exercise.Frontiers in physiology · 2019Article
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Authors and funding
2 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
During prolonged running, the magnitude of Achilles tendon (AT) length change may increase, resulting in increased tendon strain energy return with each step. AT elongation might also affect the magnitude of triceps surae (TS) muscle shortening and shortening velocity, requiring greater activation and increased muscle energy cost. Therefore, we aimed to quantify the tendon strain energy return and muscle energy cost necessary to allow energy storage to occur prior to and following prolonged running. 14 trained male (n = 10) and female (n = 4) distance runners (24±4 years, 1.72±0.09 m, 61±10 kg, [Formula: see text] 64.6±5.8 ml•kg-1•min-1) ran 90 minutes (RUN) at approximately 85% of lactate threshold speed (sLT). Prior to and following RUN, AT stiffness and running energy cost (Erun) at 85% sLT were determined. AT energy return was calculated from AT stiffness, measured with dynamometry and ultrasound and estimated TS force during stance. TS energy cost was estimated on the basis of AT force and assumed crossbridge mechanics and energetics. Following RUN, AT stiffness was reduced from 328±172 N•mm-1 to 299±148 N•mm-1 (p = 0.022). Erun increased from 4.56±0.32 J•kg-1•m-1 to 4.62±0.32 J•kg-1•m-1 (p = 0.049). Estimated AT energy return was not different following RUN (p = 0.99). Estimated TS muscle energy cost increased significantly by 11.8±12.3 J•stride-1, (p = 0.0034), accounting for much of the post-RUN increase in Erun (8.6±14.5 J•stride-1,r2 = 0.31). These results demonstrate that a prolonged, submaximal run can reduce AT stiffness and increase Erun in trained runners, and that the elevated TS energy cost contributes substantially to the elevated Erun.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.