Quoted post said:Originally posted by velomanct
i have been having a related knee problem the last 2 years myself. it started when i was at a team camp doing lots of sprints in the cold air, followed by a long climb home. after about 15 sprints, i got a sharp pain in my left knee after about 2 pedal strokes into a sprint. i was stupid and finished the sprint. when i got back to my room my left knee was tight and it hurt when i bent it. couldnt ride the next day. i had swelling, tightness and pretty bad pain when i put weight on my left knee when sitting down/standing up. i took the next 4 weeks off from riding. i was able to ride after what seemed to be a recovery, but ever since i have had occasional less painful tightness and swelling in the knee, when riding. i went to a couple doctors but i nothing worked. i have been riding since and my knee hasnt given me much problems untill the past month, when i started riding indoors. i think doing sprints on the trainer has bought back the problem worse. i havnt done any sprints the past 2 weeks. 2 weeks ago i got fitted for my bike and made some adjustments with saddle position and cleat changes. i found out that my left femur is longer than my right, which i think is the original problem. i am still getting a tightness and swelling when i ride. this week is a rest week for me so it has been easy riding, with some days off.
i get the pain/tightness below my kneecap in the front of my left knee. both knees seem to swell from riding. i can climb stairs no problem, but i occasionally get the symtoms when walking. i started taking a shark cartilage supplement last week, which i read might help with cartilage/joint injuries. last year i did weight training in the off season. this year i am only doing set-ups, nothing else. i am thinking about going back to the gym so i can do knee extensions, which i heard help strengthen the muscles that support the knee.
about me. i am almost 19yrs old, male, and i am very much into road racing and very dedicated to my training. i have been riding for 4 years. arthiritus is in my family.
any advice or suggestions, or diagnosis to what i have would be greatly appreciated.
my email is [email hidden]
Hi velomanct.
You probably should have started a new thread for this one.
I hate to tell you this, but you may have some serious problems. One thing I'm going to dwell on here is how, when I read your post, I couldn't help feel that you are a very motivated athlete. Depending on the medical advice you get, some doctors may be very encouraging, and some very discouraging. The fact of the matter is that many people get injured for many reasons. However one thing that is usually true is that, "given the activity the people are doing, their bodies can not take the stresses they put on them".
I realize that statement is a no-brainer.
However, some people are lucky in that their problems occur because they were doing something that was very wrong for their body and they stopped it fast enough to turn it around. For example, bike setup was completely wrong; Training methods were MUCH too aggressive; Sport chosen did not agree with their body's makeup.
Others, however, are motivated and dedicated athletes and their training errors are less severe. Their very ability to "take the pain" is what wears them down over time and causes them long lasting problems.
From what you've said I think you're in a good situation. You had a problem two years ago. It happened while working extremely hard. Now, you're finding the problem returning again while trying extremely hard. You may not be screwed long term. ...yet...
It's very possible that the answer is that "you try too hard". If you can't make a million dollars through your athletics, you have to ask yourself, "Am I really accomplishing what I need to accomplish in life by doing this?" You're probably telling yourself right now that the answer is clearly "yes". However the answer may be "no". You may also find that slowing things down, so that you are cross training (maybe with swimming) to make VO2 gains and using cycling for longer easier rides, improves endurance and makes you a better cyclist. You also might find that pre-made athletic programs might be MUCH too aggressive for you to stay injury free.
What you've described may be a combination of Chondromalacia and Tendentious. It could also involve scare tissue from damage you've done in these great efforts. Of course, it could be just one of what I mentioned. There is a good chance that trying to push through this will cause irreversible damage.
The point I'm trying to make is, what you're describing is a big deal. I promise that no supplement will be a magic problem solver. You'll have trouble getting an entire diagnosis on any news group forum and you will likely need to talk to someone that knows a lot about knees and sports training. If you do not, you may not have an athletic future. If you're talking about taking it easy for this week because you're on an "off week", the sooner you realize that one "off week" is not enough, the better off you are.
There is a thing called "diminishing returns" where, for example, 5x the effort in training only amounts to 1% better performance (sometimes performance goes down with increased effort). Learning that point can make a person a much more injury free athlete. From what you've described you are a very capable cyclist. Asking for too much may be a problem.
...I apologize for the length of that advice but I'm trying to make it sincere.
In terms of more technical advice:
1) Take a break of 2 to 4 weeks with NO riding. You won't lose as much ability as you think.
2) Ice your knees regularly (gel packs that go into the freezer are much better then ice because you won't freeze your skin but anything cold works)
3) Do not put excessive pressure on your knees (ie, with tights)
4) Ensure your bike fit is similar (not WAY out) to guideline fit standards. However do not make major changes at a time. Rather play with no more then 2 or 3 millimeters at a time within every 7 hours in the saddle.
5) Ensure cleat position is exact for your physical geometry.
6) Do not try to JUMP into strengthening exercises at the gym. Do these only while you feel great.
7) Allow yourself the freedom to re-evaluate your athletic goals (this is by far the hardest one and the bulk of what I was first focusing on).
Good luck in finding the right help.
