Acute tendon changes in intense CrossFit workouts

Study: Acute tendon changes in intense CrossFit workout

Habitually overloaded tendons often thicken and increase the tendonopathy risks -- nothing new here.
However as this study points out "it remains unknown whether acute overload caused by strenuous, high-intensity exercise will exert changes in tendons and if these changes can be detected and described by ultrasonography."

This study (note: Achilles, and plantaris tendon ultrasounds were performed before and after a specific workout in 34 healthy subjects)
. . . .noted "a significant increase in the thickness of the patellar and Achilles tendons" in response to strenuous, highly intense CrossFit exercises. Cross fit is not the culprit here, it is the load and load rate. None the less, it is good to know that an aggressive workout can leave us more vulnerable. This is why adequate rest and recovery must be part of your regular weekly workouts. One cannot keep fully stomping on the gas pedal over and over, workout after workout, and not expect problems to creep in if adequate recovery time has not been afforded to the working parts. This study showed changes after just one workout. No rocket science here today, we should see changes, load was applied. This is just good old fashioned "well duh, that makes sense". Here is the problem, we don't always listen to logic, nor do our clients who have goals and timeframes. We live in the "more is better" world now, so stay vigilant on logic gang. Dial your foolish clients in a little, save them some grief.  Yes, this goes for runners and all other venues of activity, there is a reason why we see problems in people with speed workouts more frequently than base miles.

Acute tendon changes in intense CrossFit workout: an observational cohort study. F. Y. Fisker et al
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/sms.12781/full