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I'm 61 and shocked at the number of my friends who have had knee surgeries and hip problems already. Almost all of them were former athletes in high school and college, maybe a third are overweight now. A couple that ate very little meat, if any, now have osteoporosis.
This might be another instance where moderation is the key. No extreme physical exercise, just keep moving, lots of water, enough protein, moderate weight. I also take glocosamine regularly. If I skip, I can tell a difference in my joints.
Let’s say men that are around 150lbs vs those weighing 200lbs or more. Does the added weight (in the form of muscle or fat) put more stress on the joints/ligaments/tendons making injury more likely...in the short or long term?
Anecdotally, it seems that a lot of the spry older folks I see seem to have been slimmer people throughout their lives. Could carrying an extra 50+ pounds cause extra wear over the course of say 40 years?
The title of the thread is a little bit misleading. Large and overweight are not the same thing.
I broke my left wrist once in middle school in gym class and once wrestling. I also dislocated that thumb while playing football. That wrist was very weak for years. I think all the weightlifting I've done has at least strengthened that wrist enough to where it's not notably weaker than my right.
I'm a short, bigger guy (about 240 now) that was a serious weightlifter in high school and college, and have picked it up again over the past couple of months. I did 365x8 squats on free weights last weekend. 505 was my PR in early college. I've always had big legs. I'll never have a lithe swimmer's build. I could stand to get down to about 200, but I got down into the 170s back in college working a physical job and not eating well, and felt very depleted at that weight. Once I got back to my normal routine, my weight was between 190-200, which is probably my "walkaround" weight without losing a lot of muscle.
A friend of mine from high school that I used to train with had a major knee operation a couple years ago from running. I've never liked running, but there's no way I'd run for cardio at my weight.
I had a knee injury playing hockey when I was 42. The orthopaedic surgeon I saw also played hockey and was a little older than I. We were chatting about being older athletes, and he said “people like us are my bread and butter”. Meaning, people who had played sports all their lives and were starting to wear out.
I have an acquaintance who is super active and super fit. She is in her mid-late 50s and just retired from her active job (paramedic) after her second hip replacement. Hasn’t stopped her from playing sports, which is cool to see. She is an outlier somewhat, but not totally unusual in the circles I move in.
Let’s say men that are around 150lbs vs those weighing 200lbs or more. Does the added weight (in the form of muscle or fat) put more stress on the joints/ligaments/tendons making injury more likely...in the short or long term?
Anecdotally, it seems that a lot of the spry older folks I see seem to have been slimmer people throughout their lives. Could carrying an extra 50+ pounds cause extra wear over the course of say 40 years?
Assuming you're adjusting for height, probably so. I don't think that a guy that's 5'9 and 150 is going to have fewer problems than one that's 6'3 and 200.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hollytree
I would think that thin people have more osteoporosis thus more bone deterioration. That might account for the hip replacements in thin people.
A little weight can strengthen bones. Of course joints themselves may be different.
Anecdotally, I think that may be true as well. There is very little osteoperosis in the older women of my family; all were relatively tall, grew up working on a farm and eating well, etc...few were thin, a few were very heavy, most somewhat in the middle.
One of the risk factors for osteoporosis (in women, at least) is weighing less than 120 pounds.
That often means there is little muscle mass to support the bones, which is not good. Being overweight is also a factor because it puts additional stress on the joints, particularly the knees. I am not sure that the OP’s example is apt since I have friends who are naturally around 200, but they are larger (6’3”ish) and generally healthy. That is different from someone who is 5’1” being 200 pounds and sedentary. The shorter, sedentary person is probably going to have more joint issues.
Hmm, I would have thought that if anything, using a stick shift would affect the left hip. The clutch pedal is on the left.
I stand corrected, it is her Left Hip from 30 yrs of stick shift driving. I got confused since I have always used auto drive. Thanks.
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