Effect of diet and exercise on knee joint loads

The main aim of this article was to determine whether a reduction in body weight induced by diet, with our without exercise would reduce inflammation and knee joint loading more than exercise alone, among overweight and obesed adults with knee osteoarthritis.

The interventions were diet alone, diet plus exercise or exercise alone. The diet program was intended to create a mean group loss of at least 10%. The exercise program was conducted for 1 hour on 3 days a week for 18 months that combined aerobic walking and strength training. 150 participants per group took part in this single blind clinical trial.

Diet, with or without exercise seems to be more effective than exercise alone in achieving weight loss and reducing inflammation measured by IL-6 levels. Diet alone seems to reduce knee joint loading more then exercise alone. The findings suggest that safely achieved weight loss (between 10 and 15%), may both have anti-inflammatory and biomechanical benefits. Whether these conclusions are sustainable over time and whether they might be effective in patients with more severe knee OA requires more investigation. > From: Messier , JAMA 310 (2014) 1263-1273. All rights reserved to JAMA The Journal of the American Medical Association. Click here to view full article.