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Fewer meals per day, stronger tendons
The fewer meals athletes eat per day, the thicker - and stronger - their tendons. This is evident from a small observational study published in 2022 in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.
Study
Physiologists from the University of Granada in Spain studied 36 trained male runners aged 31-40. The runners trained an average of 10-12 hours per week. In total, they ran at least 50 kilometers per week.
The researchers asked the study participants how many meals they consumed daily. They also used scans to determine the thickness of their Achilles tendons and patellar tendons. The patellar tendon holds the kneecap in place within the knee joint.
The researchers scanned the tendons from top to bottom [Longitudinal] and from front to back [Transversal].
Results
The patellar tendon was significantly thicker in both longitudinal and transverse measurements when the athletes ate three meals per day compared to five.
The researchers did not find such statistically significant associations in the Achilles tendon, but they observed the same trend there as well. Fewer meals per day appeared to result in a thicker tendon.
Click on the table below for a larger version.
Mechanism
The researchers suspect that the more frequently you eat during the day, the more active the immune system becomes, making immune cells more likely to break down collagen. Moreover, the higher average glucose level may damage collagen structures, partly because tissues and cells can more easily carry out repair processes during periods of low nutrient supply.
Conclusion
What happens if athletes eat only two meals a day? Or just one? Do their tendons get stronger? Is intermittent fasting good for the tendons - and perhaps also for the integral joint? The researchers don't make any claims about that. They don't even speculate.
So we do.
Source:
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Feb 21;19(4):2468.
More:
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Collagen supplementation accelerates tendon injury healing in athletes 03.02.2019
Using whey during strength training helps tendons grow stronger 04.07.2013
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