Mechanisms of Tissue Repair After Muscle Injury and Tendon Strain

Regulation of Human Tendon and Skeletal Muscle Protein Turnover Following Tissue Injury: Mechanisms Behind Regeneration and Injury Preventive Adaptations

The study is a 5-week human study including 24 18-35 year old healthy men. Each participant will have muscle injury and tendon strain induced in one leg using neuromuscular electrical stimulation in conjunction with forced lengthening contractions. The investigators will monitor the recovery from injury/strain over a 4 week period, in which half of the subjects will receive growth hormone (somatropin) to stimulate the connective tissue synthesis.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Healthy men
• BMI between 18.5-30 kg/m^2

Exclusion Criteria:

• Smoking
• Regular strength training within the last 3 months
• Current or former use of anabolic steroids or growth hormone
• Use of corticosteroids in the last 3 months
• Use of blood thinning medication
• Use of medication which can affect muscle protein synthesis
• Current or former drug og alcohol abuse
• Knee pain
• Previous participation in studies using deuterated water or alanine tracers