Kirsten Legerlotz

The main focus of my current research is on tendon adaptation in general. In the past I have been studying the initiation and progression of tendinopathies and was looking into the effects of fatigue loading on changes in structure, mechanical properties and gene expression in tendon. My aim is to link the knowledge gained from basic science with the applied side of sport science research. The areas I would like to explore reach from understanding, preventing and treating injuries of the muscle-tendon complex to changing the properties of the muscle-tendon complex for the improvement of sporting performance – a continuum of research questions that are likely to have relevance for numerous sports, both from a mass participation as well as an elite sport perspective. One specific question in this context would be to investigate the effects of fluctuating hormone levels, for example during menstrual cycle or pregnancy, on matrix turnover and muscle-tendon-properties and, thus, injury risk and mechanism.