Like most fitness buffs, you lift weights to gain muscle strength and size. But besides getting bigger, we also want to improve overall body composition – more muscle, less fat. Essentially, we aspire to become stronger, leaner, and more functionally fit.
Here’s a pleasant surprise though – pumping iron may also make your joints healthier. Promising research shows that the same resistance exercises that build muscularity can strengthen cartilage around joints, potentially slowing osteoarthritis. So along with bigger biceps, you may be giving your knees and other joints extra durability too. Who knew that the path to getting fitter and more defined could also lead to long-term joint health? Let’s see what science shows.
Research Findings: Strengthening Cartilage and Reducing Osteoarthritis Risk
In a recent review of studies, researchers found that people who did strength training at any point in their lives were less likely to have frequent knee pain, knee joint damage, and knee osteoarthritis symptoms compared to non-lifters.
The studies were observational, meaning they looked back at people’s exercise habits over time rather than assigning them to an exercise program. This makes it difficult to prove cause and effect, as other factors could be responsible for the benefits. We need more rigorous randomized controlled trials to confirm that strength training itself reduces osteoarthritis development.
Mixed Signals: Varied Study Outcomes on Strength Training for Osteoarthritis
Other analyses paint a mixed picture. One study followed older adults with knee osteoarthritis for 18 months. Surprisingly, it was found that those who did high-intensity strength training saw no greater improvements in knee pain or joint pressure than those performing low-intensity workouts or no exercise at all. The results cast doubt on intense strength training for osteoarthritis prevention over the short term. Again, we need more studies to explore these differences.
Some reviews have highlighted the benefits of strength training for osteoarthritis symptoms like knee pain and stiffness, especially in the elderly. They found that programs that focused on progressive resistance training tended to improve leg strength, physical function, and knee pain for older adults with OA. So, it seems like strength workouts can benefit people who already have worn-down knee joints.
However, the review only included a small handful of studies with smaller groups of participants. It would be helpful to have research involving larger groups of people, so we can have greater confidence in the results. However, the initial data is encouraging, suggesting that targeted strength training may ease symptoms and improve the quality of life for those managing knee arthritis.
On the downside, one analysis found no major differences between high-intensity and low-intensity strength training for knee function and quality of life. However, they found no improvement in joint space narrowing, a marker of osteoarthritis progression. At the very least, strength training helps prevent the loss of strength that contributes to falls and other injuries that we’re more susceptible to as we age.
How Might Strength Training Benefit Joint Health?
Strength training strengthens the muscles around our joints, providing more support and reducing stress. Building stronger muscles helps stabilize and protect joints – for example, working the quadriceps and hamstrings support the knees.
Working your muscles against resistance also improves bone density. Strength training develops stronger, more stable muscles around the joints. Better balance and coordination from strength training means fewer falls and injuries that could damage joints. Including full range of motion exercises can maintain and even increase flexibility and mobility through a joint’s entire arc.
However, we must build strength gradually using proper form to prevent injury. When you do it consistently, strength training helps keep your joints healthy and happy. The added muscle protects them from excess wear, while improved balance and bone density provide further stability and support. As the muscles grow stronger, our joints enjoy greater mobility as well. Making strength training part of our self-care routine is an excellent way to maintain lifelong joint health.
The Best Strength Exercises for Joint Health
What type of training is best? Current research suggests both single-joint and multi-joint resistance training exercises can increase muscular strength and improve joint health outcomes such as pain and function in patients with knee osteoarthritis.
So, strength-training programs that incorporate multiple exercise modalities including those targeting strength, flexibility, balance, and general physical function appear to provide the greatest benefits for joint health. You need to be consistent with training and not expect results for 8 to 12 weeks. Remember, patience is your friend.
While single and multi-joint exercises can be beneficial, the evidence shows that multi-joint exercises with heavier loading may provide superior functional outcomes. Think squats, deadlifts, bent-over rows, triceps dips, push-ups, and bench press. A combination of quadriceps and hamstring multi-joint exercises, trained at higher intensities for at least twenty-four sessions over 8-12 weeks, provided the greatest improvements in pain, function, and strength. However, lower-intensity single-joint exercises still offer benefits if you can’t tolerate high-intensity training.
Conclusion
The bottom line is that while strength training appears helpful for relieving osteoarthritis symptoms, its effects on preventing joint deterioration are still up in the air. We need more rigorous research to know if pumping iron truly helps keep joints healthy in the long term.
However, the fact that strength training benefits joint pain and function in the short run means it’s likely a safe, worthwhile activity for those with osteoarthritis. So next time you’re debating whether to lift that barbell, know that it might also be lifting your joint health. But also consult with your doctor before starting.
References:
- Strength Training Associates with Less Knee Osteoarthritis: Data from the Osteoarthritis Initiative. (Arthritis & rheumatology (Hoboken, N.J.), 2023)
- Rehabilitation (exercise and strength training) and osteoarthritis: A critical narrative review. (Annals of physical and rehabilitation medicine, 2016)
- Effect of High-Intensity Strength Training on Knee Pain and Knee Joint Compressive Forces Among Adults with Knee Osteoarthritis: The START Randomized Clinical Trial. (JAMA, 2021)
- Effects of exercise on knee osteoarthritis: A systematic review. (Musculoskeletal care, 2021)
- Effects of High-Intensity Strength Training in Adults with Knee Osteoarthritis: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. (American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitation, 2023)
- Effects of strength training on the incidence and progression of knee osteoarthritis. (Arthritis and rheumatism, 2006)
- Strength training in older adults: the benefits for osteoarthritis. (Clinics in geriatric medicine, 2010)
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