Table 1.

Strength, muscle architecture and patellar tendon mechanical properties (mean ± SD) before and after the 10-week study period

	AEL			TRAD			CON
	Pre-	Post-	Δ%	Pre-	Post-	Δ%	Pre-	Post-	Δ%
Isometric
MVC (Nm)	277 ± 42	326 ± 56*	17.7 ± 9.8	264 ± 51	291 ± 53*	10.8 ± 11.0	266 ± 48	271 ± 58	1.2 ± 5.2
RFD (Nm)	53 ± 23	47 ± 22	− 7.3 ± 35.5	42 ± 18	56 ± 27*	33.2 ± 30.0	41 ± 23	40 ± 28	13.0 ± 95.3
Concentric
Peak torque (Nm)	286 ± 41	313 ± 46*	9.9 ± 8.5	274 ± 57	296 ± 58*	8.5 ± 6.2	251 ± 35	252 ± 39	0.5 ± 6.6
Angle at peak torque (°)	103 ± 9	107 ± 5	3.8 ± 8.9	104 ± 9	105 ± 7	− 0.2 ± 12.6	107 ± 5	109 ± 7	3.9 ± 9.6
Eccentric
Peak torque (Nm)	331 ± 50	361 ± 49*	9.5 ± 9.4	347 ± 54	359 ± 37	4.8 ± 9.3 ±	303 ± 62	307 ± 74	0.9 ± 7.6
Angle at peak torque (°)	107 ± 10	107 ± 7	− 1.3 ± 12.5	107 ± 7	109 ± 7	2.3 ± 8.3	110 ± 5	109 ± 8	− 1.9 ± 10.2
Fascicle angle
VL (°)	19.1 ± 3.4	19.7 ± 4.0	7.1 ± 16.8	17.9 ± 3.5	18.8 ± 2.7	3.9 ± 13.4	17.3 ± 3.1	17.9 ± 2.4	5.0 ± 17.7
VM (°)	37.7 ±	38.3 ± 10.8	4.3 ± 16.1	37.0 ± 13.5	36.8 ± 8.4	3.5 ± 14.0	35.0 ± 11.0	35.2 ± 10.9	1.4 ± 11.6
Fascicle length
VL (mm)	73.0 ± 13.2	81.7 ± 9.6*	13.7 ± 13.9	77.0 ± 8.9	78.6 ± 12.8	0.7 ± 10.4	71.3 ± 5.8	69.7 ± 7.3	− 2.0 ± 9.3
VM (mm)	87.9 ± 10.0	104.1 ± 11.5*	18.7 ± 7.8	93.8 ± 8.5	94.4 ± 7.8	4.7 ± 10.7	91.3 ± 7.5	88.7 ± 7.7	− 2.5 ± 8.5
Tendon stiffness
Absolute (N·mm−1)	1437 ± 304	1385 ± 609	− 6.6 ± 26.9	1981 ± 597	1745 ± 710	− 9.5 ± 33.9	2311 ± 903	2422 ± 616	12.3 ± 46.9
Relative (N·mm−1)	1437 ± 304	1582 ± 546	8.4 ± 24.6	1981 ± 597	1893 ± 687	− 1.3 ± 30.9	2311 ± 903	1907 ± 616	− 7.7 ± 44.1
Hysteresis (%)	32 ± 16	27 ± 11	− 4.8 ± 41.6	23 ± 13	24 ± 14	12.5 ± 36.1	17 ± 11	16 ± 8	19.7 ± 63.3

Absolute tendon stiffness refers to stiffness calculated over the pre-training submaximal intensities (50‒100% MVC) and, thus, the same absolute external torque levels. Relative tendon stiffness refers to stiffness calculated over the newly measured submaximal intensities (50‒100% MVC) post-training

^*P < 0.05 versus pre-training