What causes knee pain in cyclists?
The knee can be affected by weakness of the gluteal external rotators which can lead to increased internal rotation of the leg and increase patellofemoral stress due to altered bony alignment. Cyclists typically have more developed calf and quadricep muscles than the average person. The vastus medialis is the tear drop shaped muscle that bulges out just above the inside of the knee and is usually well developed in cyclists, but if you have let riding go for a while or are new to the sport you can strengthen it with straight leg raises, lunges and dips or step downs with one leg going lower than the other while the other leg is on a block or stair. Other problems include muscle imbalances, excess motion in one or more joints, and leg length discrepancies. As we age a phenomena called cross linking occurs. This results in our tendons and ligaments being less flexible making them more susceptible to injury. Massage yoga and proper stretching can help minimize this. The body has a memory r
