Moderate exercise could guard against tendon disease

 Tendon disease has been associated with exercise but a new study suggests that moderate exercise could actually keep tendons healthy.

Tendon disease is caused by damage to tendons at cellular level; published in Molecular Cell Research, this study found that moving around decreases a group of enzymes that degrade tendon tissue and increase tendon protein.

“The onset of tendon disease has always been associated with exercise; however this association has not been fully understood,” says lead researcher Dr Eleanor Jones. “We have shown that moderate exercise has a positive effect on tendons.

“In this study we talk about moderately high exercise and we would consider running to be moderately high. But it’s important to remember that our research was carried out in the lab so to confirm this we would need to complete further clinical studies.”