Tendon Strength & Barbell Training

Medical Q&A [Moderated]
1

TLDR: Is there any evidence that shows barbell training will increase the strength of tendons/ligaments? Would you alter a program for someone with bad knees (patellar tendonitis and torn cartilage)?

Background: I have torn cartilage in my left knee (which has had a patellar repair, and a meniscus repair). My right knee only has patellar tendonitis. As a result, I am not capable of running, or basketball, or much anything that isn’t lifting. My Ortho says surgery may not have any impact, so I went with a series of gel injections. This seemed to help keep the swelling down, but now after a month of squatting 3x a week, the swelling is starting to return.

Am i harming or helping myself?

2

Yes, resistance training (so-called “heavy slow resistance,” or HSR) is among the treatments of choice for tendinopathy. Now, your particular situation might need some programming alterations (frequency, load, ROM, etc.) but the evidence suggests resistance training to have a beneficial effect in both tendinopathy and in osteoarthritis (which it sounds like you’re describing as well).