One of the most popular injuries among runners is a knee injury. In addition, some opponents of running shout that running kills your knees. Especially if you have extra kg (in this case it is really true). But in fact, the direct harm that running causes to the knees has not yet been proven. That is, of course, you can injure your knee (and not only) if you break the rules and run ahead of the cart. But if all the safety rules are followed, your knees will be fine.
So, Runner’s World magazine published an article about 5 facts about knees that runners should know.
Yes, runners also suffer from knee arthritis — that's a fact. But at the same time, they still have less chances to earn it than others. Long-term studies have shown that runners are less likely to suffer from osteoarthritis of the knees. One of the studies, which lasted 18 years, involved runners and those who are far from running. As a result, osteoarthritis developed in 20% of runners and 32% of people who are not fond of running. Another study showed that the chances of runners earning this disease compared to those who prefer walking are halved. And another study showed that the more you run, the less likely you are to get arthritis.
Some medical experts claim that the wear of cartilage in the knee is age-related. But there is no direct evidence that running accelerates this process. In one of the studies, two groups of people were observed who were more likely to get the disease. One control group started running according to a specially designed program, and the second just did nothing. As a result, the condition of the cartilage in the participants of the first group improved, and in the second group the condition remained the same.
Unfortunately, no matter what you are promised in advertising messages, special supplements will not help you grow new cartilage tissue. The most popular supplements, such as glucosamine, can help with osteoarthritis by protecting knee cartilage and promoting better lubrication of the knee joint. In another study, doctors followed people suffering from knee arthritis for two years. One group took special preparations with vitamin D, and the other, respectively, did not. As a result, two years later it turned out that there was no difference between the condition of their knees.
The most famous knee injury in runners is called «Runner's knee», medically known as chondromalacia of the kneecap — is an inflammation of the cartilage under the kneecap. Runners suffering from this syndrome, as a rule, have some common features: weak buttocks and hips, which bring instability further down to the legs, weak quadriceps femoral muscle, which makes it difficult to move the kneecap correctly, and stretched tendons, which transfer part of the running load to the knees. But a properly designed strengthening program can help fix these problems.
As mentioned above, weakness or tension in your legs can lead to certain problems, so they need to be strengthened.
Also, extra weight puts an extra load on your knees. Every extra 0.5 kg of your weight gives 2 kg of extra load on your knees. And precisely because running is considered one of the best ways to lose weight, as a result, overweight runners had problems with their knees. Start running a lot only after you lose weight.
Try to run on a flat surface to avoid shifts in the knees.
This article once again indicates that runners should not neglect good stretching and exercises that strengthen the muscles and tendons of the legs. And then running will bring you only health and pleasure.
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