I’ve been seeing this info on different forums and websites lately. Claiming that high reps (50 to 100) can improve connective tissue strength and health. That it forces more blood and fluids into these areas delivering more nutrients.
Is there any real data out there that supports this hypothesis? If connective tissues are avascular, how can you push more blood into them? It would give you a good muscle pump, sure. But can you really force more blood into areas with no blood vessels being present?
I guess you would be moving more synovial fluid around them. But wouldn’t that happen with normal strength training anyway? And would all those reps put you on a path to a repetitive strain injury?
Yea, this is made up- which you can tell by someone using the term “connective tissue health”. I’m not exactly sure what that is, but I’d ask for a definition and then for evidence supporting the claim.
I have seen recommendations from a variety of sources for high-rep sets, especially using slow eccentrics, for a variety of tendinopathy-type pain. In my limited experience using tons of slow light barbell curls (sets of 30 with sloooow eccentric) to resolve distal biceps tendon pain, it seemed to work. Even if you accept that this works, though, it doesn’t really prove a specific mechanism, but it is fun to speculate.
Yeah, I could see using lighter weight if you have some tendons that are flared up. But i still don’t believe 100 reps would be better than say a set of 10 or so. And then slowly add weight over a few weeks/months while the injury heals.
The people advocating the high reps claim the longer set with lighter weight pushes more blood to the ligaments and connective tissue, Delivering lots of nutrients. Healing them faster after you do your heavy training. I just don’t see how the blood ever gets to the avascular tissues? Plus, would you want a lot of blood in these tissues anyway? They would be less stiff and more prone to tearing correct?