Research into Tendon Adaptations in Women: No Effect of Oral Contraceptives, but Innovation in Measurement
Methods Interview with Professor Olivier Seynnes, Department of Physical Performance
How did the research come about?
Professor Olivier Seynnes is an expert in muscle and tendon physiology. For a recent study, he and his team aimed to investigate whether the use of one of the most popular oral contraceptives (the 2nd generation pill) affects the adaptation of the patellar tendon to resistance training. The patellar tendon was chosen because, unlike ligaments, its mechanical properties can be reliably tested in vivo.
The role of Usono
Measuring tendon stiffness requires scanning the tendon with ultrasound during a maximal contraction of the knee extensor muscles. This is technically challenging: manually holding the ultrasound probe in the correct position and angle is difficult and prone to error. Seyness and Victor Donker met each other at Isokinetic Lyon 2022. That’s why Seynnes contacted Usono, where he collaborated with Victor and Jori Verbeek to develop a prototype probe holder. This holder made it possible to position the probe accurately and stably, significantly improving the reliability and standardization of the measurements.
What were the main findings?
The study showed that the use of the investigated oral contraceptive had no statistically significant effect on tendon adaptations to resistance training. That’s good news: it suggests that women using this pill are likely not at increased risk of tendon or connective tissue injuries due to impaired training adaptation. Additionally, the probe holder developed by Usono proved to be a valuable innovation: it reduced the time needed to position the probe correctly and decreased the number of measurement attempts required.
What does this mean for the future?
The results suggest that the 2nd generation contraceptive pill does not negatively affect tendon adaptation to resistance training, and likely not other connective tissues either. This is reassuring for active women who use this pill. At the same time, the research highlights the importance of innovative measurement methods, such as Usono’s probe holder, for reliable and reproducible research outcomes. Further studies are needed to confirm these findings and to investigate whether other types of contraceptives may have an effect.
For more information about the research results, see:
https://peerj.com/articles/19581/
For more information about the ProbeFix Dynamic from Usono, visit:
www.usono.com
