Background
Cycling is a recommended exercise for people with knee pathologies due to its low impact compared to walking or running. However, there is a lack of research on how cycling affects the front-plane knee mechanics, especially knee adduction moment (KAM) that is closely associated with OA initiation and progression.
In this project, we provided scientific evidence on how the two major adjustments on a stationary bike, speed and resistance, could affect knee loading.
We recruited 18 healthy elderly participants and used motion capture and instrumented load cells to quantify joint mechanics.
Purpose
Investigate the effects of different workloads and cadences on knee loading during cycling.
Findings
-
Increasing workload/resistance at a constant speed increased KAM, and increasing speed at a constant resistance did not change KAM.
-
Cycling with greater speed versus resistance is appropriate to reach higher exercise intensity without compromising joint health.
Future directions
Test in people with knee osteoarthritis.