Patellar and Achilles Tendon Thickness Differences among Athletes with Different Numbers of Meals per Day: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

The objective of this study is to analyse differences in the thickness of the patellar (PT) and Achilles tendons (AT) among athletes with different number of meals per day. The design is a cross-sectional, observational study. A total of thirty-six male athletes (with mean age groups ranging from 31 to 40) were recruited and divided into three groups based on the number of daily meals they had (3, 4 or 5 meals). PT and AT were assessed by ultrasound. There were statistically significant differences in PT when comparing groups 1 and 3, at both longitudinal (p < 0.03) and transversal (p < 0.002) planes. There were no differences when comparing groups 1 and 2 or groups 2 and 3. There was a negative correlation between the number of meals per day and tendon thicknesses in both PT (longitudinal plane: r = -0.384; p = 0.02/transversal plane: r = -0.406; p = 0.01) and AT (transversal plane: r = -0.386; p = 0.02). In conclusion, there were patellar tendon thickness differences between participants and the number of daily meals could play a key role in tendon thickness, healing and performance.