Knowing Your Knees

My sister in law, Debbie, sent me an article from the Cleveland Magaizine (Oct 05), titled “Knowing Your Knees”. The author is Jeannie Roberts. I could not find the article online anywhere, so I am recapping it on my blog. It was very helpful info, and timely for me, as I am have a little knee pain. (I think my knee pain is from doing speed workouts on the road. I plan to find a good soft track to do them instead! …UPDATE 4/18/05: I ran on a soft track today. I did 5 repeats in zones 4-5 / 5 minutes each / 2-3 minutes rest. This was the hardest speed workout I have ever done, and my knees feel great. I only have a tiny bit of hip pain. Bottom line: find a soft track for speed work!!! I am on an incredible endorphin high right now 😀 )

Main points of the article:

Serious knee injuries occur six to eight times more often in women than men. Why? Because women have three strikes against them where knees are concerned – structure, biomechanics, and hormones. Women’s knees have a smaller femoral notch than men’s; their larger hips create an additional angle of stress on the knee; and changes in hormonal activity before menstruation create more laxity in their ligaments.

Strengthening the proper muscle groups is crucial to protecting female athlete’s knees: hip abductor muscles, which stabilize the pelvis; and the hip rotator muscles, which stabilize the femur.

Also, identifying the hormonal component can help prevent knee problems in women. In the three to five day window before the onset of menstruation, it is critical to train differently. Avoid hard, heavy, explosive workouts. If competing in a game [or racing] during this time, wear a knee brace.

The author stresses that coaches of female athletes should understand and respect these issues.