It was reported a few weeks ago that Tiger Woods had recovered a lot faster after receiving injections of the controversial blood product, actovegin, by a Canadian physician.
However, the latest study from Holland indicates that this blood based product does diddly squat.
In this small study done in Holland, the injections were no better than salt water injections in individuals who had Achilles tendon injuries. The Achilles tendon is a large tendon which connects the lower calf muscles to the heel. It is quite prone to injury in athletes and recovery can be long and difficult.
In this study, the treatment involved injection of platelet-rich plasma (PRP), extracted from patients’ own blood and not CALF Blood.
It has been speculated that Tiger woods’ underwent a series of these injections after his knee surgery in 2008.
After 6 months, this study found no differences between the blood based product versus salt water. All the individuals had similar degrees of improvement and pain after 6 months.
So for all the athletes who have already bought calves to obtain their PRP for injections to improve endurance and strength – do not worry, you can now enjoy the calf meat.
The results appear in the latest Journal of the American Medical Association.