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Sore or Aching Knees

Discussion in 'General' started by Ducky_Fresh, May 18, 2010.

  1. Ducky_Fresh

    Ducky_Fresh I liek cake.

    After the solo20 race at last weekends round at Buttonwillow, I found myself with really stiff and achy knees. I didn't notice until I came in to the pits and had to extend my legs, which was when I had trouble getting off the bike. It was almost like my knees fell asleep, but with some minor pain.

    So, I'm looking for some tips and advice on ways to mitigate this. I'm 28, I play indoor soccer twice a week, and haven't really had any issues with my knees. I'm 5'11 and 175 lbs, in good shape. But for some reason, when my knees are in the riding position for that long, they seem to stiffen up. I did play soccer the night before, and wonder if it was a direct result of that..

    I had to ice them after and take some ibuprofen. Then they felt fine.

    This weekend, we've got the 6 hour at Miller coming up and I'll be riding 3 hours of it. I am sure I'll be fine, but I'm hoping to help reduce the knee fatigue/soreness after.

    Current thoughts:
    - lower rear-sets possibly, but I think my woodcraft SV rearsets are non-adjustable.
    - take glucoseamine & fish oil this whole week, see if it helps
    - I'm thinking my Spidi leathers may be too tight in the knees..
    - Wear cycling pants under leathers and increase compression (maybe this will make it worse)
    - take ibuprofen before the race

    Any suggestions/thoughts are welcome!

    Thanks!
     
  2. six6two

    six6two AWD

    Do you ride a bicycle at all? I've got TERRIBLE knees, and without cycling I wouldn't be able to ride at all.
     
  3. flyingpig70

    flyingpig70 Well-Known Member

    After riding I use those Icy Hot knee thingee's
     
  4. Ducky_Fresh

    Ducky_Fresh I liek cake.

    I have a Specialized Enduro SL (mountain bike), and a nice trail behind my house pretty much. I could definitely put some time on it if it will HELP the situation...?
     
  5. Wheeliest

    Wheeliest ʍɥǝǝןıǝsʇ

    learn to know how much weight you can put on the seat, I had the same problem and learned that i can still keep some weight on the seat ( i use to hover like a girl in a porta potty)
     
  6. Gigantic

    Gigantic Maverick Moto Media

    try Power Yoga. it will improve your flexibility as well as strengthen the muscle that support your knee and reduce your pain considerably. Lots of hot women in Power Yoga Classes, too. :up:
     
  7. matd

    matd This aint no party.

    I'm not so sure IB is a good idea during the race weekend. I love the shit, but usually switch to Tylenol (hate the shit) and lots of water a few days before the race weekend if needed. Never know what's gonna happen on the track. Internal injuries and anti-inflamatories don't mix well.
     
  8. Dr. GoFast

    Dr. GoFast Well-Known Member

    i think the main thing is not to play a soccer game the night before. plain and simple. it's great to be in shape and hit the training hard and stuff, but you need to have a significant rest period before you do a max exertion activity like a solo 20 (at least a day or two of rest beforehand).

    secondly, bicycles can certainly help. however, it doesn't seem like you have weak knees, it just sounds to me like you tried to do too much high-impact activity too close together (soccer is not exactly easy on the knees and neither is riding).
     
  9. G 97

    G 97 Garth

    Make sure your leathers have plenty of stretch room and are not binding. My knees used to hurt until I got some new leathers. that had more room in the knee area.
     
  10. :stupid:
     
  11. Sig

    Sig Well-Known Member

    foam roller. roll your IT band. :)
     
  12. Spyderchick

    Spyderchick Leather Goddess

    Reduce your sugar intake, that means not only soda, but white bread, rice and pasta. Sugar is a know inflammatory.
    Tylenol before your ride as suggested, Aleve or other NSAID after the weekend.
    Drink plenty of fluids, water to sports drink 2:1
    Stretch.
    And yes, if your suit is too tight in the knees, it can cause discomfort. Armor should have a little wiggle room in riding position, but not too much so that it will rotate.
     
  13. rk97

    rk97 Well-Known Member

    i'm 27, and i had the same issue the last couple of years.

    Icing at the end of the day is ALWAYS a good idea. If you're going to take Ibuprofen, look up online how much you have to take to actually get anti-inflamatory benefits from it. 2 or 3 will relieve your pain, but I think ti's more like 6 pills that are required (before riding) to prevent the inflamation ahead of time.

    the other thing that has been a life-saver for me are "PAT straps." I had a rough bought with ilio-tibial band syndrome (ITBS) after hiking into and out of the Grand Canyon with my brothers... The straps just kind of hold everything in place. For $20, they're worth trying.
     
  14. YZFBeliever

    YZFBeliever Well-Known Member

    I have had 5 knee operations, my first was in 1988 and last in 1998. Two ACL reconstructions and 3 arthroscopies. I have had as much as 90% of my meniscus removed from both knees.

    I started taking Glucosamine and Chondroitin in 1988 when I was skiing competitively and have continued through today. Over the years the research has changed some of the what you will find in these supplements but Glucosamine has always remained.

    No personal interest here, just relaying my decades long experiences.

    I take a product from a company called hi-health

    http://shop.hihealth.com/Optim-3reg-Glucosamine-Chondroitin-Complex-IX-240-caps-P3317.aspx

    Joint formulas don't work like aspirin or advil, you have to realize the benifits over time, it's a supplement which builds on itself. Taking it for two weeks and stopping will do nothing for you.

    Good luck.
     
  15. crossroader

    crossroader road racing junkie

    Glucosamine helps my bad knee. Skip the Chondroitin, you're just paying extra...

    Ed
     
  16. 03silvr6

    03silvr6 Well-Known Member

    mix of glucosamine and msm, helps me out
     
  17. Beattie_yo

    Beattie_yo SuspectsUnlimited.com

  18. six6two

    six6two AWD

    From my experiences, yes. I wouldn't be able to Mx, RR, or really do anything without my bicycling. My knees are weird though. One is missing some tendon, and the other has a couple of minor tears that didn't get operated on. If I haven't been really riding my bicycle hard before a roadrace, they get very stiff and sore fairly quickly. No real issues w/ a decent amount of cycling though :beer:
     
  19. Ducky_Fresh

    Ducky_Fresh I liek cake.

    Thanks for all of the input!
     

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