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This study compared the muscle and tendon morphology of an extraordinarily strong individual, a World's Strongest Man and deadlift champion (WSM), with that of various other athletic, trained, and untrained populations. The WSM completed the following: 1) 3.0-T MRI scans, to determine the volume of 22 individual lower limb muscles, 5 functional muscle groups, patellar tendon (PT) cross-sectional area (CSA), and PT moment arm; and 2) countermovement jumps (CMJ) and isometric midthigh pull (IMTP) contractions. The WSM was compared with previously assessed groups from our laboratory (muscle and tendon) and the wider research literature (CMJ and IMTP). The WSM's CMJ peak power (9,866 W) and gross (9,171 N) and net (7,480 N) IMTP peak forces were higher than any previously published values. The WSM's overall measured leg muscle volume was approximately twice that of untrained controls (+96%) but with pronounced anatomical variability in the extent of muscular development. The plantar flexor group (+120%) and the guy rope muscles (sartorius, gracilis, and semitendinosus: +140% to +202%), which stabilize the pelvis and femur, demonstrated the largest differences relative to that of untrained controls. The WSM's pronounced quadriceps size (greater than or equal to twofold vs. untrained) was accompanied by modest PT moment arm differences and, notably, was not matched by an equivalent difference in PT CSA (+30%). These results provide novel insight into the musculotendinous characteristics of an extraordinarily strong individual, which may be toward the upper limit of human variation, such that the WSM's very pronounced lower limb muscularity also exhibited distinct anatomical variability and with muscle size largely uncoupled from tendon size. NEW & NOTEWORTHY: Lower-body muscle size of an extraordinarily strong individual, a World's Strongest Man and deadlift champion (WSM), was approximately twice that of controls but was underpinned by pronounced anatomical variability in the extent of muscular development (+23–202%): the plantar flexor group and guy rope muscles demonstrating the largest differences. The WSM's quadriceps size (more than or equal to twice that of controls) contrasted with modest differences in patella tendon moment arm (+18%) and was uncoupled from patellar tendon size (+30%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Bioactive collagen peptides (CP) have been suggested to augment the functional, structural (size and architecture), and contractile adaptations of skeletal muscle to resistance training (RT), but with limited evidence. This study aimed to determine if CP vs. placebo (PLA) supplementation enhanced the functional and underpinning structural, and contractile adaptations after 15 weeks of lower body RT. Methods: Young healthy males were randomized to consume either 15 g of CP (n = 19) or PLA (n = 20) once every day during a standardized program of progressive knee extensor, knee flexor, and hip extensor RT 3 times/wk. Measurements pre‐ and post‐RT included: knee extensor and flexor isometric strength; quadriceps, hamstrings, and gluteus maximus volume with MRI; evoked twitch contractions, 1RM lifting strength, and architecture (with ultrasound) of the quadriceps. Results: Percentage changes in maximum strength (isometric or 1RM) did not differ between‐groups (0.684 ≤ p ≤ 0.929). Increases in muscle volume were greater (quadriceps 15.2% vs. 10.3%; vastus medialis (VM) 15.6% vs. 9.7%; total muscle volume 15.7% vs. 11.4%; [all] p ≤ 0.032) or tended to be greater (hamstring 16.5% vs. 12.8%; gluteus maximus 16.6% vs. 12.9%; 0.089 ≤ p ≤ 0.091) for CP vs. PLA. There were also greater increases in twitch peak torque (22.3% vs. 12.3%; p = 0.038) and angle of pennation of the VM (16.8% vs. 5.8%, p = 0.046), but not other muscles, for CP vs. PLA. Conclusions: CP supplementation produced a cluster of consistent effects indicating greater skeletal muscle remodeling with RT compared to PLA. Notably, CP supplementation amplified the quadriceps and total muscle volume increases induced by RT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Collagen peptide supplementation has been reported to enhance synthesis rates or growth in a range of musculoskeletal tissues and could enhance tendinous tissue adaptations to resistance training (RT). This double-blind placebo-controlled study aimed to determine if tendinous tissue adaptations, size (patellar tendon cross-sectional area (CSA) and vastus lateralis (VL) aponeurosis area), and mechanical properties (patellar tendon), after 15 wk of RT, could be augmented with collagen peptide (CP) versus placebo (PLA) supplementation. Methods: Young healthy recreationally active men were randomized to consume either 15 g of CP (n = 19) or PLA (n = 20) once every day during a standardized program of lower-body RT (3 times aweek). Measurements pre- and post-RT included patellar tendon CSA and VL aponeurosis area (via magnetic resonance imaging), and patellar tendon mechanical properties during isometric knee extension ramp contractions. Results: No between-group differences were detected for any of the tendinous tissue adaptations to RT (ANOVA group-time, 0.365 = P = 0.877). There were within-group increases in VL aponeurosis area (CP, +10.0%; PLA, +9.4%), patellar tendon stiffness (CP, +17.3%; PLA, +20.9%) and Young's modulus (CP, +17.8%; PLA, +20.6%) in both groups (paired t-tests (all), P = 0.007). There were also within-group decreases in patellar tendon elongation (CP, -10.8%; PLA, -9.6%) and strain (CP, -10.6%; PLA, -8.9%) in both groups (paired t-tests (all), P = 0.006). Although no within-group changes in patellar tendon CSA (mean or regional) occurred for CP or PLA, a modest overall time effect (n = 39) was observed for mean (+1.4%) and proximal region (+2.4%) patellar tendon CSA (ANOVA, 0.017 = P = 0.048). Conclusions: In conclusion, CP supplementation did not enhance RT-induced tendinous tissue remodeling (either size or mechanical properties) compared with PLA within a population of healthy young men. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]