Table 3 Function, material properties, intratendinous vascularity and rest length measured at baseline (PRE) and after completion of the 12-week intervention phase (POST) for the three intervention groups presented as mean ± standard deviation (SD)

26.09 ± 5.1

25.08 ± 5.6*

26.73 ± 4.5

26.53 ± 4.9*

27.39 ± 4.5

25.9 ± 4.0*

21.66 ± 4.9

20.51 ± 5.1

23.75 ± 5.9

23.4 ± 5.7

22.34 ± 7.4

22.21 ± 5.5

39.6 ± 17.3

40.9 ± 16.9

41.1 ± 12.2

40.8 ± 13.1

48.0 ± 16.6

48.9 ± 15.2

0.90 ± 0.40

0.79 ± 0.29^#

0.92 ± 0.26

0.84 ± 0.33^#

0.99 ± 0.31

1.10 ± 0.40^#

9.09 ± 18.10

5.96 ± 11.70

4.03 ± 5.20

5.90 ± 10.90

2.08 ± 3.90

6.02 ± 11.30

203.8 ± 26.2

202.3 ± 21.5

187.9 ± 15.1

190.0 ± 17.5

199.9 ± 22.9

200.8 ± 24.2