TheFinalSprint.com - Track & Field, Marathons, Racing News, Training Advice, Elite Athlete Blogs, Interviews, Podcasts, Videos and More! - TheFinalSprint.com is the Premier Destination for Track & Field, Marathon, Cross Country, Olympic and Road Racing Enthusiasts.

Lead Stories: Saturday, November 22, 2008

Strong Legs For Strong Knees

Posted November 27th, 2007 at 8:30 AM by Hariz Siddiqui

Section: Health & Fitness, Injury & Rehab, Exercise

Doctors have known for many years that having weak quad muscles (in the front of your upper legs) increases risk for damage to the cartilage in your knees. A study from Purdue University shows that strengthening these muscles slows down knee cartilage damage and may even improve knee function (Arthritis & Rheumatism, October 2006).

The researchers placed 221 adults in their sixties and seventies either on a program of strengthening their muscles in their upper legs or just moving their knees in a series of range-of- motion exercises. The subjects exercised three times per week (twice at a fitness facility and once at home) for 12 weeks. This program was followed by a transition to home-based exercise for 12 months. Older people weaken naturally with aging, but the range of motion exercisers lost more strength than those who exercised against progressive resistance. The strength training helped retain joint space, signifying that this group had less loss of cartilage.

Read the rest of this entry at our partner site: HerActiveLife.com

2 comments, add yours | Permalink

Specificity of Bone Strength

Posted March 16th, 2007 at 4:00 PM by Jamal Walker

Section: Health & Fitness, Exercise

A study from Wolverhampton University in England shows that exercising to strengthen muscles strengthens the bones on which these same muscles attach.
Read the rest of this entry »

One comment, add yours | Permalink

What’s the best time for future athletes to start training?

Posted March 6th, 2007 at 8:25 AM by Martha Jones

Section: Health & Fitness, Exercise

A study from Sweden suggests that the best time for future athletes to start training is probably before they go into puberty, because strength training before puberty gives a person larger and stronger bones.

The study also shows that the best way to prevent osteoporosis may be to start exercising against resistance before puberty and continue weight bearing exercise for the rest of your life.

Having large strong muscles makes you a better athlete, and muscle growth is limited by the size of the bones on which they attach. Training before puberty enlarges bones more effectively than at any other time in a person’s life.
Read the rest of this entry »

Comment on this post | Permalink