Robert Trybulski1,2, Jacek Ratajczyk3, Ireneusz Ryszkiel4, Viorel Petru Ardelean5,6
1Katowice Business University, Faculty of Medicine, Katowice 40-659, Poland
2Provita Żory Medical Center, Żory, Poland
3Department of Orthopedic and Trauma Surgery, Regional Specialist Hospital No. 2, Jastrzębie-Zdrój, Poland
4Department of Internal Medicine, Metabolic Disease and Angiology, Faculty of Health Sciences in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland
5Department of Physical Education and Sport, Faculty of Physical Education and Sport, Aurel Vlaicu University of Arad, Elena Dragoi Street nr. 2-3, 310330 Arad, Romania
6Physical Activities Research Center, 2-4, Elena Dragoi, 310330 Arad, Romania
Achilles Tendon Stiffness in Sprinters and Distance Runners: A Critical Narrative Review
J. Anthr. Sport Phys. Educ. 2026, 10(4), Ahead of Print | DOI: 10.26773/jaspe.261005
Abstract
Achilles tendon stiffness is frequently proposed to distinguish sprint from endurance adaptations, but the evidence combines different populations and mechanical outcomes. This narrative review critically examines direct comparisons between sprinters and distance runners, measurement methods, training responses, and associations with running performance and injury. Targeted searches and citation checking used PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus records, publisher websites, and institutional repositories, with verification completed in September 2026. Findings were interpreted according to study design, tendon region, and measurement construct; no meta-analysis was performed. One direct comparison reported greater force–strain stiffness of the tendon–aponeurosis complex in sprinters, whereas smaller collegiate and older-athlete comparisons found no significant differences in longitudinal stiffness. Greater stiffness has been associated with lower running energy cost in some endurance samples, and loading interventions demonstrate that tendon properties can change. However, structural stiffness, material modulus, shear-wave speed, and myotonometric stiffness are not interchangeable. Cross-sectional differences cannot establish training effects, and changes in stiffness do not independently demonstrate improved performance or altered injury incidence. Available evidence supports context-dependent variation rather than a universal stiffness hierarchy across running disciplines. Future comparisons should standardise measurement conditions and examine tendon properties alongside muscle strength, morphology, running mechanics, and prospectively recorded outcomes.
Keywords
tendon mechanics, sprinting, endurance running, running economy, ultrasonography
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