Has cycling improved your knee health?

[byegad]

Are you using Glucosomine? Worked wonders for me!

 

[Blonde]

Jimboalee, pain when climbing may be normal for you, but I think you should see if there is something you can do about it, because pain means there is an injury or some damage occuring. I don't get any knee pain when climbing.

 

[Bigtwin]

It's helped mine a lot. I used to get knee pain just walking 1/2 a mile or so.

Now I cycle to the pub; not a problem.

 

[jimboalee]

Jimboalee, pain when climbing may be normal for you, but I think you should see if there is something you can do about it, because pain means there is an injury or some damage occuring. I don't get any knee pain when climbing.

No end of medical and physiotherapy expertise has been able to calm the discomfort in the sides of my knees for the last forty years. I just seem to get stronger, not suffer injury.

I complained in 1975 and the rest of the group shouted "That's usual, you'll get used to it".

I do the Castleton Classic Audax as an early season trainer; and it hurts every year. I take a few days off and after that, hills aren't something to be frightened of.

 

[montage]

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.

IT band problems!

This is what I have right now. I am stretching the IT band for a few weeks while off the bike...and icing the knees at least once a day. Then I think my physio is going to give me exercises to help improve the inner muscle. Then I can start getting back onto the bike

 

[Blonde]

Yeah, tight IT bands are quite a common problem for cyclists. It's difficult to stretch them effectively though. I only ever feel anything streching if lying on the bed on my side, with the top leg straight and being pressed down off the bed behind me, by someone else leaning heavily on it! My IT bands seem to be better than in the past though. They aren't tender any more when I get a sports massage. I don't get any pain in the knee joint these days either. The pain I had was from bone rubbing on bone and hills didn't seem to trigger it. It was present all the time after about 100km on any terrain. It is hard to say if the alterations I made to my saddle and cleat position or the stretching and strangthening exercises were key in preventing the pain. Maybe it was a combination of both.

The only knee pain I ever get now is slight muscular pain the day after explosive efforts on the track or after a very hilly ride with lots of steep hills where explosive efforts are required, (but never at the time of riding, only afterwards) so I think this is simply down to poor muscle strength (it's in the muscle above and to the inside of the knee joints). I'll be working on that now, with some resistance training. I also get muscular pain in my lower stomach and my waist/ribs area after track sprinting sessions (and in my forearms and shoulders), so will also be doing some more core strength exercises and possibly a few more upper body exercises.

 

[plank]

Sorry I haven't read the whole thread but at the gym I think anything which restricts movement is has the potential to damage your knees especially leg extensions and could also include smith machine squats. Free squats and dead lifts are superior and do not damage your knees despite what people will tell you, they are also the only leg exercises you need to do, however doing these with bad technique will hurt your knees and back.

Of course I could be wrong so worth reading up, good starting point could be here
http://stronglifts.com/stronglifts-5x5-beginner-strength-training-program/

 

[Dan B]

Roller skating Got me over my week knee issue

Funny, with me it's the opposite: I find that cycling (esp. low-intensity high cadence work) keeps my knees supple and limber after I've buggered them with hard skating.

 

[Dan B]

Sorry I haven't read the whole thread but at the gym I think anything which restricts movement is has the potential to damage your knees especially leg extensions and could also include smith machine squats. Free squats and dead lifts are superior and do not damage your knees despite what people will tell you, they are also the only leg exercises you need to do, however doing these with bad technique will hurt your knees and back.

I've heard this or a similar viewpoint expressed elsewhere in a less dogmatic form: the argument is that machines are designed to xercise one muscle solely and don;t develop the "support network" of stabilising muscles around it, putting you at risk of injury thereby. Free weights, on the other hand, require you to maintain balance while lifting and therefore all the bits develop in sync. If (big if) you do the exercise correctly and with good form

 

[plank]

Yeah, I agree, I would even say isolation exercise are usually unnecessary for beginners. The link I posted will provide even and constant growth with success and isn't worth changing until you can do 1.5xbodyweight squats (I think most people would count that as very strong!!)

Even if you wanted to do isolation exercises for some reason focusing on weight machines would usually force unnatural movement and end up damaging joints.

 

[jimboalee]

Yeah, I agree, I would even say isolation exercise are usually unnecessary for beginners. The link I posted will provide even and constant growth with success and isn't worth changing until you can do 1.5xbodyweight squats (I think most people would count that as very strong!!)

Even if you wanted to do isolation exercises for some reason focusing on weight machines would usually force unnatural movement and end up damaging joints.

Variety and variation is the key.

Have a go at Rockwall climbing with a backpack.

 

[plank]

Climbings far too dangerous

 

[jimboalee]

Climbings far too dangerous

Oh come on!

You are lashed to a sturdy loop at the top.

You throw yourself off at the top and sail down on the clutch.

 

[roadjunkie]

There are some good ITB stretches out there..oh if I had a video camera... could be worth checking youtube.

 

[vavavikki]

People are mentioning squats and weights, the problem with these things is they create the discomfort I am trying to avoid, stabbing pains (squats), crunching and pressure build up. I would rather do something that dosnt sound and feel like it is doing more damage! Thats why I'm pretty happy cycling has worked for people.

The thing I do miss from the phisio is the wabble board to improve my propreaseption, was fun, comfortable and worked all the tiny supporting muscles that as someone said get missed in fixed positions. I do feel however that when i cycle stading up the whiole lot of muscles is worked requiring strenght and balance at the same time, it would be good if it is a replacemnt for the wobble board.