ESPN Article on Achilles Rupture

After spending many hours online OCD'ing over this injury, I found one article that actually sated me and potentially answered my question of how and why it happened.

The doctor in the ESPN article describes a common cause as the combination of a concentric and eccentric load on the tendon. The stopping and starting movements in athletes.

Eccentric means applying a load when it's already stretched (e.g. running backwards) and concentric means applying a load when it's already shortened (e.g. doing toe raises).

So injuries occur commonly when eccentric loads are quickly followed by concentric loads and vice versa. Perfect example, a quarterback dropping back to pass and moving forward or a tennis player running to the net for a volley and then backwards for the lob.

And to boot, "there seems to be a direct correlation to aging where the aging athlete, in general has less blood flow to the region."

Ah ha! 2 strikes against me. Eccentric/concentric load and the "aging athlete."

Not sure how I feel about that or how one defines aging .... aren't we all aging and does early thirties count as aging?

Link to article