Childhood exercise and long-term tendon health
Official title: Early life exercise effects on tendon maturation and resistance to late life tendinopathies
Funded at California State Univ San Bernardino · NIH-11292406 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at whether exercising in childhood and adolescence helps tendons stay stronger and less likely to develop painful tendon problems as people get older.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | California State Univ San Bernardino NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Bernardino, United States) |
| Project start | April 1, 2023 |
| Project end | March 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $140,420 |
| NIH project number | 5R16GM149416-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11292406 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People who might benefit include parents of active children or teens and older adults worried about tendon pain or future mobility problems.
✕Less likely to help
Patients needing immediate surgical repair for severe tendon tears or people with advanced, established tendon degeneration may not gain direct benefit from this prevention-focused research.
What this research studies
From a patient's perspective, researchers will use controlled lab experiments to compare how tendons adapt to exercise when loaded in early life versus when loaded in adulthood. They will look at tendon structure (like collagen organization and cross-sectional area), chemical changes such as advanced glycation end-products (AGEs), and mechanical strength. The team will also test whether early-life exercise protects tendons from the kinds of damage and dysfunction that appear with aging and disuse. Results are intended to link early activity patterns with better tendon resilience later in life.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to simple early-life activity approaches that lower the risk of tendinopathy and preserve mobility in older adults.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research shows exercise can improve tendon health in adults, but whether early-life loading produces lasting protection into older age is largely untested.
Where this research is happening
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California State Univ San Bernardino
San Bernardino, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Horner, Angela — California State Univ San Bernardino
- Study coordinator: Horner, Angela
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.