Library

Tissues

How each kind of tissue responds to load, how it gets injured, what training builds in it, and how it changes with age.

• Bone

  The hard tissue that forms most of the skeleton. What bone is made of, how it responds to load, how it gets injured and heals, what exercise studies found, and how it changes from childhood to old age.

• Cartilage

  The firm, rubbery tissue that lines joints, forms the knee's menisci and the spine's discs, and lets bones grow. How it responds to load, how it gets damaged, what training studies found, and how it changes with age.

• Fascia

  The sheets of connective tissue that wrap and join muscles. Why experts still disagree on what counts as fascia, how it responds to load and injury, what little training evidence exists, and how it changes with age.

• Ligament

  The tissue that joins bone to bone at a joint. What ligaments are made of, how they respond to load, how they get injured and heal, what little training evidence exists, and how they change with age.

• Muscle

  Skeletal muscle, the tissue that moves the body. What it is made of, how it responds to load, how it gets injured and heals, what training studies found, and how it changes from childhood to old age.

• Nerve

  The peripheral nerves that carry signals between the spinal cord and the body. How they are built, how they slide and stretch with movement, how they get injured and regrow, what strength training changes, and how they age.

• Tendon

  The tissue that joins muscle to bone. What tendons are made of, how they respond to load, how they get injured and heal, what training studies found, and how they change from childhood to old age.