Author(s): NULTY, C.1, ERSKINE, R.M.1,3, Institution: SOUTH EAST TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY, Country: IRELAND, Abstract-ID: 2454

INTRODUCTION:
Despite a high prevalence of lower-limb soft tissue injuries in female Masters field hockey athletes [1], effective exercise and nutrition strategies to mitigate injury risk and enhance performance in this population are unknown. In young female athletes, however, body weight resistance exercise (RE) training with 30g hydrolysed collagen (HC) supplementation enhances patellar tendon (PT) stiffness (which may reduce injury risk and increase performance), although PT cross-sectional area (CSA) remained unaffected [2]. Higher intensity, eccentric RE may cause tendon hypertrophy, thus enabling a greater efficiency of force transfer from muscle to bone, thereby increasing peak rate of force development (pRFD) and athletic performance. The aim of this study was therefore to investigate the effect of HC supplementation combined with high-intensity, eccentric RE on PT CSA, muscle size, strength, power, speed and pRFD in female Masters athletes.
METHODS:
Twenty-two international female premenopausal Masters field hockey athletes were randomly assigned to collagen (COL, n=10, 40±4 years, 69±5 kg) and placebo (PLA, n=12, 38±3 years, 69±9 kg) cohorts in a double-blind design, and completed a weekly supervised high-intensity flywheel squat RE session and two home-based lower-limb eccentric bodyweight RE sessions for eight weeks. Prior to each RE session, participants ingested either 30g HC (COL) or 30g maltodextrin (PLA), together with 500mg Vitamin C. Before and after the intervention, maximum voluntary force (MVF) and pRFD were assessed during an isometric mid-thigh pull using force plates. Vastus lateralis (VL) muscle thickness (MT) and PT CSA were measured with ultrasonography. Countermovement jump (CMJ) height and 20 m sprint speed were evaluated using force plates and timing gates, respectively.
RESULTS:
MVF increased from 892±366 to 1,011±420 N (P=0.020), VL MT from 21±3 to 22±3 mm (P=0.015), and sprint speed from 5.7±0.4 to 5.8±0.4 m∙s-1 (P=0.011), with no group×time interactions (P>0.05), while CMJ height did not change (P=0.238). PT CSA increased in both groups (P<0.001) but COL (116±12 to 121±13 mm2) increased more than PLA (109±22 to 111±22 mm2, P=0.014). Similarly, pRFD increased post-training (P=0.002) but to a greater extent in COL (7.9±1.3 to 10.1±2.4 kN∙s-1) than in PLA (8.5±3.4 to 9.1±3.4 kN∙s-1, P=0.039).
CONCLUSION:
Eight weeks’ eccentric RE with 30g HC supplementation augments the gains in PT CSA and pRFD in international female Masters field hockey athletes. The greater PT hypertrophy in COL may have influenced the larger increase in pRFD in COL by augmenting RE-induced gains in PT stiffness.
REFERENCES:
1. Croteau K. et al. 2022. Injuries in Masters Field Hockey Players Competing in the 2018 World Cup: Comparisons of Prevalence, Location, and Type by Age, Sex, and Field Hockey Experience. Int J Athl Ther Train.27(4):188-192.
2. Lee J. et al. 2023. Collagen supplementation augments changes in patellar tendon properties in female soccer players. Front Physiol.14:60.