Does weight training damage your joints?
Have you ever wondered ‘does weight training damage your joints?’
Many people believe that weight training with heavy weights may damage their joints. But as long as you use good form and progress gradually, weight training will probably actually improve your joint health. As you will read, vigorous weight training may actually even improve pain and function.
Can Lifting Weights be Harmful?
AS long as you use good form and progress gradually, lifting weights will probably not cause harm to your body or your joints. Not much evidence exists to suggest that vigorous training with weights will damage healthy joints.
In fact, weight training may help you improve your joint health and even reduce pain and disability.
Even powerlifters and weightlifters, who regularly handle thousands of pounds of training volume per week, often have healthier joints than inactive controls.
In 1980, Fitzgerald and McLatchie studied 25 competitive weightlifters and powerlifters, and found that both the weightlifters and powerlifters had much less joint deterioration than among inactive control groups.
Additionally, the strength sports weightlifting, powerlifting and bodybuilding have a much lower injury rate than running, triathlon or team sports. If weight training was so dangerous, you would expect higher injury rates in any of the strength sports.
Fitzgerald and McLatchie suggest that previously injured joints might be more likely to experience accelerated degeneration. However, healthy individuals with no history of serious joint damage or injury can safely engage in a rigorous strength training program.
According to Baechle and Earle (2004), weight training can benefit joint health by improving nutrient delivery to the joints.
These authors state that the “degree of tissue adaptation appears to be proportional to the intensity of exercise. Consistent anaerobic exercise that exceeds the threshold of strain stimulates connective tissue changes.” (2004).
This means that more vigorous strength training improves connective tissue strength more than moderate or low intensity strength training.
Can Lifting Weights Cause Joint Pain?
According to the research, lifting weights is unlikely to cause joint pain. In fact, weight training may even decrease pain and slow down joint deterioration.
In 2010, Latham and Liu studied the effects of a progressive resistance training program on older adults with osteoarthritis. They found that progressive resistance training reduced pain and improved functional strength and independence in people with osteoarthritis.
These authors also claim that muscle weakness might lead to knee osteoarthritis.
Finally, they state that functional weakness of the lower body predicts pain levels more closely than disease progression.
They conclude that even the oldest adults should engage in a progressive resistance training program, as resistance training can improve strength, functional abilities and reduce pain.
Weight training can actually function as a treatment tool for managing osteoarthritis.
Other researchers also note the benefits of weight training for joint pain.
Knutzen, Pendergrast, Lindsey and others (2007) write that strength training “>improves pain in older adults with osteoarthritis by preventing muscle loss and strengthening the surrounding connective tissue.
These authors state that strength training can reduce pain by as much as 25 percent.
Messier et. al ran a randomized controlled trial to determine if vigorous strength training improves pain and function in older adults with osteoarthritis.
These authors write that previous studies that exposed osteoarthritic individuals to strength training were not vigorous or intense enough. Therefore, the training did not improve strength, function or biomechanics enough to improve pain.
They believe that intense strength training will improve pain and function of the lower body. Strength training may decrease pain by improving strength and proprioception, decreasing knee joint forces, and decreasing levels of inflammatory compounds in the joints.
Clearly, these studies show that lifting weights can actually improve joint health and protect the joints from further damage.
How do I protect my joints from lifting weights?
Hopefully, this article helped you realize that weight training in and of itself does not damage your joints. However, here are a few more tips to keep your joints healthy for a long time.
- Warm up Properly
- Learn Proper Form
- Work with a Coach
- Increase Weight Gradually
- Train Each Muscle Group
- Use Compound Movements
- Take Rest Days
- Use Low Intensity Weeks
- Listen to your Body
- Improve Mobility
- Eat a Healthy Diet
- Don’t Wrap your Knees
If you follow these guidelines, you will likely have a long and productive strength training career and remain free from any serious joint injuries. You will also lessen the risk of joint pain.
Weight Training Improves your Joints
Instead of damaging your joints, weight training actually improves your joint health, function and pain levels. If you have not started strength training because you fear joint pain, now you can begin a strength training without any fear. What do you think? Has strength training improved your joint pain or mobility? Please let me know in the comment section below.
References
Baechle, T.R. and Earle, R.W, 2004. Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning. Champlaign, IL.
Fitzgerald, B. and McLatchie, G.R., 1980. “Degenerative Joint Disease in Weight Lifters: Fact or Fiction?” British Journal of Sports Medicine, Vol. 14, Nos. 2-3. 97-101.
Knutzen, K. M., Pendergrast, B. A., Lindsey, B., & Brilla, L. R. (2007). The effect of high resistance weight training on reported pain in older adults. Journal of sports science & medicine, 6(4), 455-60.
Liu, C. J., & Latham, N. K. (2009). Progressive resistance strength training for improving physical function in older adults. The Cochrane database of systematic reviews, (3), CD002759. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD002759.pub2
McQuade, K.J. and Oliveira, A.S., 2011. Effects of Progressive Resistance Strength Training on Knee Biomechanics During Single Leg Step-up in Person with Mild Knee Osteoarthritis. Clinical Biomech (Bristol, Avon). 2011 Aug; 26(7): 741-748.
Messier, S. P., Mihalko, S. L., Beavers, D. P., Nicklas, B. J., DeVita, P., Carr, J. J., Hunter, D. J., Williamson, J. D., Bennell, K. L., Guermazi, A., Lyles, M., … Loeser, R. F. (2013). Strength Training for Arthritis Trial (START): design and rationale. BMC musculoskeletal disorders, 14, 208. doi:10.1186/1471-2474-14-208
