How early exercise affects tendon health as we age
Official title: Early life exercise effects on tendon maturation and resistance to late life tendinopathies
Funded at California State Univ San Bernardino · NIH-11056899 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at how exercising when you're young can help keep your tendons healthy as you get older, and it’s for anyone interested in staying active and preventing tendon injuries later in life.
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 | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $126,378 |
| NIH project number | 5R16GM149416-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11056899 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are individuals who have engaged in physical activity during their early years and are now in their late adulthood.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who have not participated in any form of exercise during their early life may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates the impact of exercise during early life on the development and health of tendons later in life. It aims to understand how early physical activity influences tendon structure and function, potentially reducing the risk of tendon injuries and conditions associated with aging. By examining the differences in tendon responses to exercise in young versus mature individuals, the study seeks to uncover mechanisms that could lead to better tendon health in older adults. Participants will engage in a 10-week exercise program designed to assess these effects.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to strategies that enhance tendon resilience and reduce the risk of injuries in older adults.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown that early life exercise can positively influence various aspects of physical health, suggesting potential success for this approach in tendon health.
Where this research is happening
-
California State Univ San Bernardino
San Bernardino, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Horner, Angela — California State Univ San Bernardino
- Study coordinator: Horner, Angela
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Social activities, gender, and memory health in older adults
This project looks at how different social activities and gender relate to changes in thinking and memory in older adults.
-
Childhood exercise and long-term tendon health
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.
-
How early ADHD stimulant use may change sleep and brain activity
This project looks at whether giving stimulants for ADHD before adolescence changes sleep patterns and brain signals now and later in life.
-
Exploring how social activities affect cognitive decline in older adults
This study is looking at how staying socially active can help older adults keep their minds sharp, and it wants to find out which activities are the most helpful and if they work differently for men and women.
-
How adolescent nicotine exposure affects methamphetamine use in female rats
This study looks at how being exposed to nicotine as a teenager might make female rats more likely to use methamphetamine later on, helping us understand the connection between early nicotine use and addiction.
-
Effects of ADHD medications on sleep in children and adolescents
This study is looking at how ADHD medications might affect sleep in kids, using rats to see if taking these meds early on can lead to sleep problems later in life, so we can better understand how these treatments influence sleep health.
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.