Achilles Tendon Characteristics According to Body Fat and Body Mass Index

Abstract

Aim: The Achilles tendon is a biggest and strongest tendon in the body although it is very likely to be injured due to the amount of compression and tension on it. The study aimed to analyze the effect of BMI and body fat on the Achilles tendon. Methods: The study recruited 25 individuals who were divided equally into three groups (very lean, normal and obese) and focused on three factors to measure (length, thickness and strain ratio). Results: Strain ratio was found to be an indicator of the stiffness of the tendon. The strain ratio was varying between the ranges from 0.09 to 1.13. People with high BMI were noticed to have less strain ratios, in the opposite side lean people were having the highest strain ratios and normal people were having normal strain ratios.