Arthritis threat to middle-aged fitness fanatics
EXERCISING too much in middle age can cause arthritis, say scientists.
A study of men and women aged between 45 and 55 found those who worked out the most caused the greatest damage to their knees.
Several hours of walking, sport or other types of physical exertion each week, as well as gardening and
household chores, can trigger osteoarthritis.
It is the most common form of the degenerative disease, affecting more than two million people in the UK.
People suffer when changes in the body’s cartilage cause joints to fail to work properly.
At worst, bones rub together, causing severe pain and deformation of the joint.
Research suggests running and jumping are bad for you in middle age, while swimming and cycling are much better as they do not put so much pressure on bones and joints.
Dr Christoph Stehling, of the University of California, said: “People with higher physical activity levels may be at greater risk of developing knee abnormalities and face a higher chance of developing osteoarthritis.”
In the study of 236 people, scans after exercise showed a link between physical activity levels and frequency and severity of knee damage. Specific abnormalities identified included cartilage and ligament injuries.
Dr Stehling said: “The prevalence of knee abnormalities increased with the level of physical activity.
In addition, cartilage defects diagnosed in active people were more severe.”
The findings also indicated that some activities carried a greater risk of knee damage over time.
Dr Stehling added: “This study and previous studies by our group suggest that high-impact, weight-bearing physical activity, such as running and jumping, may be worse for cartilage health.”
A spokeswoman for the Arthritis Research Campaign said: “We have known for years that certain high- impact sports and jobs are associated with an increased risk of osteo- arthritis, particularly of the knee.
“But for the vast majority of people exercise is good, not only for the cartilage but for total body health.”
