If cycling is your sport, then you have probably experienced some cycling knee pain. This may be brought about by a previous knee injury or other outside factors. This is not good especially if you are in a sports competition. Here are some useful techniques to prevent knee pain.

Remember to do some stretching prior to cycling. This will loosen muscles and lessen soreness of your legs and knees. Do some leg exercises to keep proper blood circulation in your legs. Drink plenty of water to prevent dehydration since cycling makes you sweat a lot. After cycling, it would be good to do some stretching again this time to relax the muscles around the knees.

During cold weather, cover the knees and wear leg warmers even when cycling. These will keep your knees warm enough to lessen the muscle pain while cycling.

A brace can provide support for the knees and can help out in stopping uncomfortable symptoms of cycling before they occur. Many cyclists who have not experienced knee pain before have already started using knee braces. This support has been proven very valuable and beneficial to many cyclists worldwide.

Consider a complete bike fit. An effortless seat elevation correction may relieve the strain placed on your knee. If the seat is too low, too much stress is forced on the knee and if the seat is too high, pain may extend behind the knee. Thus, a suitable seat height is really essential.

Cleat in wrong position may also contribute to knee pain. Saddles that are excessively faraway make the cyclist want to reach for the pedal and want to stretch harder which results to knee pain. Try to pedal through little resistance and an inflection of 80-90 rpm allowing your body to align while riding on the road, and possibly a slightly new bike position.

Don’t make big changes in your training program — a risk factor for injury is over zealous interval training. Rest for a few days and then start a limited riding program in low gear for about a week or two. Also, make an effort to cut back on rigid riding or hill work for the first few weeks. Remember, any changes should be done slowly to permit your body to get used to to the new settings. If you feel you are ready, then add more cycling time to your program.

If there is already prior knee injury, proper care and action should be taken to avoid over working the knee. Nowadays, most cyclists opted to apply the knee brace to give extra support and secure fit for the knee. There are also short term medications such as the use of lotions, heating pads or balms, putting ice, elevation, resting the knee and taking prescribed medication by a qualified doctor. A good balanced diet helps too.

Do make it a point to wear the proper gear for cycling. Don’t wear too tight sports clothes especially around the leg area. Wear good socks to protect the feet and wear comfortable shoes, preferably those which are made for cycling.

Jonathan Pitts

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