Has cycling improved your knee health?

[vavavikki]

My knees sound like bags of marbles when I walk up stairs, bend, I cant kneel cus they swell up. At some angles I get shooting pains. The phisio gave me exercises to build up the muscles around the knees and hopefully separate the bits of the joins that are rubbing together. I think this is due to sking, I have had it since I was a teenager.

Well I have to admit the exersises where really boring..lift leg...put leg down..lift leg...blah! I wanted to start running but was told the impact was too much for my knees. So I have been cycling every day (with the exeption of a few hangover days) for weeks now, I can see the changes in my muscles, my body shape etc but still I have the same knee problems.

Has anyone found that cycling has iproved the health of thier knees? Surely it should as it works all the muscles in yout legs and is low impact..right?

 

[jimboalee]

No. It was the Smiths machine at the gym that built my knees.

 

[I am Spartacus]

The phisio gave me exercises
Well I have to admit the exersises where really boring..lift leg...put leg down..lift leg...blah!

Do all physios have this aversion to stipulating correct technique resistance training for the lower body? are they scared of being sued or what? I do hear of this a lot.. and no wonder it was doing your head in

 

[nigelnorris]

Yes, most defintely. Three yers go I was in your position. Running (ony in the gym, on a treadmill) had done boh of mine. Both medial ligaments went accompanied by all the usual swelling and cracking.

> A year of swimming, physio exercises, sleeping in knee compression bandages did nothing. So I gave up and bought a bike.

Got worse for the first few months, especially till I got used to working gears to my advantage (was killing myself trying to ride off in too low a gear, and just overdoing it in general), lots of ibuprofen rub and keeping up with the compression kept that under control. I built up slowly and now they're close to fixed, I'm still wary of using too low a gear but aside from that none of the old symptoms or pain at all.

I did my first 50 mile run on Sunday and could feel my right knee getting hot, but today there's no sign of any damage.

 

[I am Spartacus]

Yes, most defintely. T

doh I WAS hoping for a physio to pop up and defend ... that repeat cleint visitors keeps the payments up on a 'cock' Audi R8

 

[summerdays]

I don't know enough to advise you but in your position you definitely want to make sure that the saddle is at the correct height because if not it can create problems.

 

[Jim_Noir]

No. It was the Smiths machine at the gym that built my knees.

This made me think of The Smiths for some reason "punctured bicycle on a hillside"

 

[jimboalee]

This made me think of The Smiths for some reason "punctured bicycle on a hillside"

I've been cycling for as since as I can remember. 7 years old on a 20" kids single speed.
Then a 5 speed Halfords youth's sports bike.
Then a Peugeot 531 PX10LE.
Then got into the gym when I started work and discovered the Smiths machine for squatting.
Then started doing calf raises.

The bike got much faster.

 

[sparkyman]

Roller skating Got me over my week knee issue (which i had had since spending a year painting skirting boards) , well untill i snapped my leg in two places anyway :/ on the up side my bad knee handled carrying all that extra weight for six months no problem...

I found skating a greaty non impact way of strengthaning my legs and lots of fun.

Sparkyman

 

[Blonde]

To the OP's title question: My answer is yes, but only after some specific interventions and specific training. If you have knee pain, how to fix it depends on what is causing the pain. If it is basically a muscular problem or a joint issue that is exacerbated by poor muscle strength, then obviously increasing the muscle strength in the muscles surrounding the problem joint will help, but this must be done in a controlled and careful way. Going big guns up steep hills when you have an existing knee problem won't be the answer. However, strong muscle will support the problem joint and take some of the strain.

When I sorted out my cleat position at CycleFit as well as my leg length difference (with some LeMond Wedges under one cleat) it seemed to almost fix the knee problem that I had bee experiencing for some time. Having the saddle set a little further forward over the bottom bracket helped too. If I had it set too far back, the knees began to hurt again. My pain was caused by the ball rubbing in the socket due to some misalignment. The outer knee muscle was pulling the knee cap over towards the outside of the knee joint (on both legs but one was worse than the other). A higher protein diet, along with riding fixed and fairly structured track cycling has helped me increase the inner knee muscle size and strength, which had been underdeveloped and the inner muscles are now pulling the knee cap back around to the front, where it ought to be.

I can still get some pain after a lot of steep/sharp hill work such as after the White Rose Classic sportive, but seem to be fine on longer climbs such as in the Alps where less explosive power is needed, even after several long days of this type of climbing. I got some pain the day after a three hour track sprint session on Sunday, but that was a lot of explosive efforts in a 90 inch gear and my whole body still aches to be honest, especially my core muscles - I've started working on strenthening them now! On Sunday I was also shown how to do some basic squat exercises, which can easily be done at home, with or without additional weights, to increase leg strength, which in turn will help maintain and protect the knee joints. As with all resistance training, good technique is essential to prevent injury and for the exercise to be effective.

 

[Tynan]

yes, for sure, shame it's buggered my shoulders but that was two seperate serious offs

if there's actually something wrong with your joints etc then that needs fixing, have you seen a specialist?

 

[redjedi]

Definately helped my knees.

I always has slightly dodgy knees since I was a about 12. I often had pain if I tried going up two steps at a time or lifting, usually accompanied by clicking sounds.

Since I started cycling 2 years ago they are a lot better. So much so that I forget that I used to have problems.

(carrying less weight also helps )

 

[byegad]

Yes, I can certainly walk further before knee pain slows me down now than
I could nine years ago when I got back into cyclng after a ten year lay off.

 

[jimboalee]

To the OP's title question: My answer is yes, but only after some specific interventions and specific training. If you have knee pain, how to fix it depends on what is causing the pain. If it is basically a muscular problem or a joint issue that is exacerbated by poor muscle strength, then obviously increasing the muscle strength in the muscles surrounding the problem joint will help, but this must be done in a controlled and careful way. Going big guns up steep hills when you have an existing knee problem won't be the answer. However, strong muscle will support the problem joint and take some of the strain.

When I sorted out my cleat position at CycleFit as well as my leg length difference (with some LeMond Wedges under one cleat) it seemed to almost fix the knee problem that I had bee experiencing for some time. Having the saddle set a little further forward over the bottom bracket helped too. If I had it set too far back, the knees began to hurt again. My pain was caused by the ball rubbing in the socket due to some misalignment. The outer knee muscle was pulling the knee cap over towards the outside of the knee joint (on both legs but one was worse than the other). A higher protein diet, along with riding fixed and fairly structured track cycling has helped me increase the inner knee muscle size and strength, which had been underdeveloped and the inner muscles are now pulling the knee cap back around to the front, where it ought to be.

I can still get some pain after a lot of steep/sharp hill work such as after the White Rose Classic sportive, but seem to be fine on longer climbs such as in the Alps where less explosive power is needed, even after several long days of this type of climbing. I got some pain the day after a three hour track sprint session on Sunday, but that was a lot of explosive efforts in a 90 inch gear and my whole body still aches to be honest, especially my core muscles - I've started working on strenthening them now! On Sunday I was also shown how to do some basic squat exercises, which can easily be done at home, with or without additional weights, to increase leg strength, which in turn will help maintain and protect the knee joints. As with all resistance training, good technique is essential to prevent injury and for the exercise to be effective.

The knee joint is a 'hinge' joint.

Pain when climbing is normal.

 

[vavavikki]

I'm glad there is hope!
I tried lifting little weights with my knees at phisio, was pretty uncomfortable, seems to be the angle of the joint, after grinding on my bent knees skiing for 12 years they dont like the angle between straight and bent much! To begin with cycling made it feel like there was a pressure building up in the knee which I had to shake out but that seems to have improved. I will be interested to see if when I go back to a full week with 12 hours shifts I get the usual swelling.