In this episode, Brodie dives into a newly published paper titled “Female Tendons are from Venus and Male Tendons are from Mars: But Does it Matter for Tendon Health?” by Gerard McMahon and Jill Cook. The paper explores how male and female tendons differ in structure, adaptation, healing, and injury risk—and what it means for those dealing with tendinopathy.
🔍 What You’ll Learn
- Key structural differences between male and female tendons (size, stiffness, collagen synthesis)
- Why female tendons may stretch more but adapt less to training
- How men and women respond differently to tendon rehab protocols
- Surprising findings about pain, healing, and tendon blood flow
- Whether injury prevention or rehab should differ based on sex
đź“Ś Key Takeaways
- Female tendons are more compliant, have lower stiffness, and show slower collagen production—even at rest.
- Male tendons respond more favorably to traditional rehab (like eccentric loading), often reporting greater pain reduction and functional improvements.
- Despite men experiencing more frequent tendon injuries in some data, women may be closer to their strain “danger zone” during exercise, possibly increasing injury risk.
- Women may need longer rehab timelines, heavier resistance training (beyond just eccentrics), and closer attention to recovery, nutrition, and hormonal cycles.
- Men should be cautious about overloading tendons due to higher force-generating capacity and should still progress gradually.
đź’ˇ For Runners With Tendinopathy
- Don’t compare your progress to someone of the opposite sex—recovery is sex-specific.
- Trust the process: healing may be happening at a microscopic level even if pain relief is slow.
- Tailor your rehab by considering not just gender, but also age, training history, injury severity, and more.
What is Overcoming Proximal Hamstring Tendinopathy?
Proximal Hamstring Tendinopathy is a horrible condition affecting athletes and non-athletes alike. If you fall victim to the misguided information that is circulating the internet, symptoms can persist for months, sometimes years and start impacting your everyday life.
This podcast is for those looking for clear, evidence-based guidance to overcome Proximal Hamstring Tendinopathy. Hosted by Brodie Sharpe, an experienced physiotherapist and content creator, this podcast aims to provide you with the clarity & control you desperately need.
Each episode brings you one step closer to finally overcoming your proximal hamstring tendinopathy. With solo episodes by Brodie, success stories from past sufferers and professional interviews from physiotherapists, coaches, researchers and other health professionals so you get world class content.
Tune in from episode #1 to reap the full benefits and let's get your rehabilitation back on track!