ArticleEuropean journal of applied physiology2020
Effects of long-term athletic training on muscle morphology and tendon stiffness in preadolescence: association with jump performance.
Article in European journal of applied physiology, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
8 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 22 citations in OpenAlex.
- Muscle morphological adaptations to resistance training and sports participation in children and adolescents: a scoping review.Frontiers in sports and active living · 2025Pooled it
- Gastrocnemius medialis muscle architecture and its relationship with countermovement jump performance differ between male academy soccer players and control participants.European journal of applied physiology · 2026Article
- Sport-Specific Muscle Architectural Adaptations and Jump Performance in Preadolescent Rhythmic Gymnasts.Children (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Chronic Effects of a Dynamic Stretching and Core Stability Exercise Protocol on Physical Performance in U-16 Volleyball Players.Sports (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Gastrocnemius medialis tendon properties do not differ between male academy soccer players and control participants but are related to jump performance.European journal of applied physiology · 2025Article
- Mechanical properties of the gastrocnemius muscle-tendon unit in male athletic high jumpers.Physiological reports · 2025Article
- Effects of Maturation on Plantar Flexor Activity and Achilles Tendon Stiffness in Vertical Jumping: Sex Differences.Sports (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- Implementing Ultrasound Imaging for the Assessment of Muscle and Tendon Properties in Elite Sports: Practical Aspects, Methodological Considerations and Future Directions.Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.) · 2021Review
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Authors and funding
6 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
purposeEvidence on training-induced muscle hypertrophy during preadolescence is limited and inconsistent. Possible associations of muscle strength and tendon stiffness with jumping performance are also not investigated. We investigated the thickness and pennation angle of the gastrocnemius medialis muscle (GM), as indicators for potential muscle hypertrophy in preadolescent athletes. Further, we examined the association of triceps surae muscle-tendon properties with jumping performance.
methodsEleven untrained children (9 years) and 21 similar-aged artistic gymnastic athletes participated in the study. Muscle thickness and pennation angle of the GM were measured at rest and muscle strength of the plantar flexors and Achilles tendon stiffness during maximum isometric contractions. Jumping height in squat (SJ) and countermovement jumps (CMJ) was examined using a force plate. We evaluated the influence of normalised muscle strength and tendon stiffness on jumping performance with a linear regression model.
resultsMuscle thickness and pennation angle did not differ significantly between athletes and non-athletes. In athletes, muscle strength was greater by 25% and jumping heights by 36% (SJ) and 43% (CMJ), but Achilles tendon stiffness did not differ between the two groups. The significant predictor for both jump heights was tendon stiffness in athletes and normalised muscle strength for the CMJ height in non-athletes.
conclusionLong-term artistic gymnastics training during preadolescence seems to be associated with increased muscle strength and jumping performance but not with training-induced muscle hypertrophy or altered tendon stiffness in the plantar flexors. Athletes benefit more from tendon stiffness and non-athletes more from muscle strength for increased jumping performance.
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