Strengthening Knees

[Jezston]

On doing longer or harder rides, I often find my knees - particularly my right knee - starts to get sore, or might not but then feel stiff the next day. It's not painful, just feels kinda worn out.

I use clipless pedals (crank bros), and I feared my bike dimensions were a bit off for me (it's a 60cm but compact frame - supposedly the same as a 56cm, I'm 6 foot with 31" legs), but I've been set up and adjustments made to my bike and cleats and according to the non expert in Evans my ride looks fine so I don't think it's that.

What I do think it might be however is weakness, particularly in the lateral movements. I think whatever minor lateral movements I'm making when cycling are getting me worn out. Pretty much the only exercise I do AT ALL is cycling (about 100 miles a week roughly), the rest of the time I'm sat on my arse. I don't probably do enough stretching before and after rides, and also my fitness-keen mum pointed out to me that even when just walking I'm not fully extending my leg at the rear before lifting my feet off the ground to take the next step. She's suggested being more aware of that when walking, which will help, along with doing exercises such as sitting upright and sticking my leg out with my toes in the air and holding.

Does that all sound like it could be right? Any other excerises I can be doing to improve the muscles that cycling uses but that I'm not building up very well just through cycling alone?

 

[Chrisc]

I was told by my physio to do core strengthening exercises ( not stomach or abs, as I thought ) and ball squats to strengthen the vmo muscle. This balances your leg muscles and keeps the knees in line which leads to less pain.

 

[Fiona N]

I think Chris has probably hit the nail on the head - if you've got lateral stability problems when cycling and only ride a bike, you're probably only going to get worse rather than better.

There are many exercises for strengthening the VMO - various sorts of squat (I favour one leg squats as these develop balance and ankle strength as well but you do need to work up to them), inner leg raises and knees straightening (but not as your Mum suggests - they just further strengthen the main bulk of the quads without adding stability).

Telling you how to do any of these exercises properly is tricky so you'd be better off googling 'VMO strengthening' or 'vastus medialis oblique' to find some videos or going along to a gym where there's a good personal trainer so you can be shown the correct form. With many of these more subtle stability exercises, doing them wrongly is a waste of time at best and bad for you at worst, so it pays to get it right.

 

[Jezston]

Thanks very much - I'll look these up. Might be worth investing in a few sessions at a gym to make sure I'm doing it right, although sadly can't afford a proper long term membership.

 

[adscrim]

Squats will help strenghten your knees but that may not be the cause of the problem. I think it's worth keeping an open mind regards your bike positioning. Something that is only marginally off will go largely unnoticed day to day but will cause problems on longer harder rides.

Also, stretching helps a great deal. I get a similar problem with pain behind my right knee but can largely get rid of it in periods when I've stretched my hamstrings and quads morning and night. I'm hoping to get in for a bike fit session early this year in the hope that I can get rid of it completely.

 

[Chrisc]

Thanks very much - I'll look these up. Might be worth investing in a few sessions at a gym to make sure I'm doing it right, although sadly can't afford a proper long term membership.

Luckily for you there's no need to join a gym. You can do everything you need to do at home. Only equipment I have is a ball for doing VMO squats. Hold it between the knees.

 

[Jezston]

Yes having googled it now it does seem pretty easy stuff - and I already have a ball (well, my flatmate does!) so game on!

 

[ventoux50]

Hi Jezston - the VMO exercises can be very useful if you have a deficiency there, the squat holding a ball between your knees is good, but another more specific one is to sit with legs extended, allow your toes to turn out to 45% and then tense the quads and raise the foot off the floor by 6 inches. . . no need to go higher as you are only trying to 'kick in' the VMO activation.

However - how do you know you have VMO deficiency ?

You might end up needlessly doing exercises that are not addressing your problem at all.

VMO deficiency will not lead to a feeling of stiffness.

Where exactly do you feel pain/discomfort ? is there any heat/tenderness to touch snapping sensation ?

I suggest that what is more likely is a combination of:

• incorrect bike position and/or cleat set up
• Tight Iliotibial band (ITB) - a very common occurrence in cyclists and involving an anatomical structure which runs down the lateral aspect of the knee - exactly where the joint hinges.
• possibly a degree of arthritic change in the joint.
• weak Gluteus medius/maximus

Probably the best approach would be to get the bike position checked at a decent bike shop and have a hands on assessment done on yourself by a physio. I know all this is going to cost money but for the sake of £50 or so, you could return to pain free activity.

The problem with taking (well intentioned) advice from the internet is that it comes on the whole from people who aren't experts and can only recommend what worked for them - but their individual problems are probably completely different to yours, ergo their exercises may not be appropriate.

Hope this helps a little.