Submitted on July 16, 2008
Revised on October 13, 2008
Accepted on October 15, 2008
Impact of sex and chronic resistance training on human patellar tendon dry mass, collagen content, and collagen cross-linking
Jennifer Katherine LeMoine1, Jonah D Lee1, and Todd A. Trappe1*
1 Ball State University
* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: ttrappe{at}bsu.edu.
Collagen content and cross-linking are believed to be major determinants of tendon structural integrity and function. Sex and chronic resistance training have been shown to alter tendon function, and may also alter these key structural features of tendon. Patellar tendon biopsies were taken from untrained men (M, n=8, 1RM: 53±3 kg), untrained women (W, n=8, 1RM: 29±2 kg), and resistance-trained (10±1 y trained) men (RTM, n=8, 1RM: 71±6 kg). Biopsies were analyzed for dry mass, collagen content, and collagen cross-linking (hydroxylysylpyridinoline, HP). We hypothesized that these elements of tendon structure would be lower in women than men, while chronic resistance training would increase these parameters in men. Tendon dry mass was significantly lower in women than men (M: 376±8, W: 343±5 µg dry mass/mg tendon wet wt, P<0.01), and was not influenced by chronic resistance training (P>0.05). The lower tendon dry mass in women tended to reduce (P=0.08) collagen content per tendon wet weight. Collagen content of the tendon dry mass was not influenced by sex or resistance training (P>0.05). Similarly, cross-linking of collagen was unaltered (P>0.05) by sex or training. While sex alters the water content of patellar tendon tissue, any changes in tendon function with sex or chronic resistance training in men do not appear to be explained by alterations in the collagen content or cross-linking of collagen within the dry mass component of the tendon.
