Using Load to Improve Tendon/Ligament Tissue Engineering and Develop Novel Treatments for Tendinopathy.

Tendon and ligament injuries are highly prevalent but heal poorly, even with proper care. Restoration of native tissue function is complicated by the fact that these tissues vary anatomically in terms of their mechanical properties, composition, and structure. These differences develop as adaptations to diverse mechanical demands; however, pathology may alter the loads placed on the tissue.

Effects of Different Loading Programs on Finger Strength in Rock Climbers.

Background: Climbing places high loads through the hands and fingers, and climbers may benefit from specific finger strength training (hangboarding) protocols. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of a 10-minute low intensity hangboard finger strengthening protocol ("Abrahangs"), compared with the generally accepted Max Hangs protocol for training maximal grip strength.

Methods: We retrospectively evaluated the change in grip strength and Strength: Weight following Max Hangs, Abrahangs, or the two protocols performed concurrently in rock climbers who used the Crimpd app to log their training.

Review of Exercise Interventions to Improve Clinical Outcomes in Nondialysis CKD.

Exercise interventions in chronic kidney disease (CKD) have received growing interest, with over 30 meta-analyses published in the past 5 years. The potential benefits of exercise training in CKD range from slowing disease progression to improving comorbidities and quality of life. Nevertheless, there is a lack of large, randomized control trials in diverse populations, particularly regarding exercise in nondialysis-dependent CKD (NDD).

Ingestion of a Whey Plus Collagen Protein Blend Increases Myofibrillar and Muscle Connective Protein Synthesis Rates.

Purpose: Ingestion of whey protein increases myofibrillar but not muscle connective protein synthesis rates. Recently, we defined a whey and collagen protein blend (5:1-ratio) to optimize post-prandial plasma amino acid availability. Here, we assessed the ability of this blend to increase myofibrillar and muscle connective protein synthesis rates at rest and during early recovery from exercise.

An atlas of caspase cleavage events in differentiating muscle cells.

Executioner caspases, such as caspase-3, are known to induce apoptosis, but in other contexts, they can control very different fates, including cell differentiation and neuronal plasticity. While hundreds of caspase substrates are known to be specifically targeted during cell death, we know very little about how caspase activity brings about non-apoptotic fates. Here, we report the first proteome identification of cleavage events in C2C12 cells undergoing myogenic differentiation and its comparison to undifferentiated or dying C2C12 cells.