Wounded knee - Fitness & Exercise

Pumping iron--a central component of bodybuilding and increasing muscle strength--is usually safe if an athlete is physically fit and supervised by a trainer. "Usually safe," are the key words. No matter how fit you are, it is important to listen to your body.

Take the 21-year-old football player, for example, who performed squat lifts as part of his off-season training program. For three years, he experienced knee pain when he did lifts with heavy loads, but experienced relief when he lifted lighter loads. One day, while lifting 227 pounds, he experienced a "pop" and acute pain in his left knee. Immediately, his knee filled with fluid, swelled and became tender to the touch.

At Pace University, an x-ray revealed he had a broken kneecap and the diagnosis was "stress fracture." The clinicians suggested that the heavier loads caused bone fatigue from repeated micro injuries, rather like bending a strip of metal back and forth until it snaps. The injury was treated promptly and the athlete recovered without complications.

A review of medical literature by the Pace Team produced reports of weight-lifting injuries of the limbs, chest and spine. They also found reports of kneecap fractures among basketball players and other jumping athletes, giving support to their theory that kneecap may break after repeated "minor" injuries.

Bone pain should alert athletes and their trainers of an impending stress fracture. A medical examination can indicate whether the athlete could benefit from lifting lighter weights or whether a re-evaluation of training goals is in order.

COPYRIGHT 2002 Aerobics and Fitness Association of America
COPYRIGHT 2002 Gale Group