Strong Thighs Beat Knee Arthritis

Strengthen those quads! That's the message if you want to prevent or even slow the progression of arthritis of the knees. The 'quads', short for quadriceps, are the large muscles at the front of the thigh.

You know, after a lifetime of playing different sports, running, weight training and generally pounding my joints, I can't count the number of people who have said to me, in as many words: "you'll pay for it in the end when you get arthritis -- your knees won't take it".

That's not to say that sports people don't suffer knee injuries, they do, particularly in sports with twisting and side stresses to the knees. Such injuries may predispose those people to arthritis later in life. Even so, much evidence shows that even moderate to high levels of activity such as running and weight training can protect the joints of exercisers compared to those who do little exercise.

Being sedentary or overweight, and particularly both, is more likely to cause arthritis, while age and genetic susceptibility and abnormal joint structures are also factors. I'm talking about osteoarthritis mainly, the condition where cartilage that protects bones from rubbing together wears away causing pain and stiffness.

So what role can weight training play? The best exercise for strengthening the quadriceps for newer weight trainers is the machine leg extension at the gym. With experience, more advanced exercises like the free-weight squat can be introduced. The leg press machine is also useful. If you already have knee arthritis you should consult your doctor or physical therapist and preferably train under the supervision of a personal trainer or exercise physiologist with experience in arthritis management. Starting with low weight loads is essential.

Read more about weight training and arthritis at the Sports Medicine and Arthritis Guide sites.

Reference. Stronger leg muscles may thwart knee arthritis. Mayo Clin Health Lett. 2007 Mar;25(3):4.