does hiking kill your knees

Just a point about rotational forces in the knee, the knee is designed to cope with rotational forces. The force that we put through our knees while twisting and running/ jumping can be over ten times body weight. We dont get near that while hiking a dinghy. The forces are less, but are applied over a longer time so there may be an argument about viscoelasticity, having said that, I never heard of anyone doing their anterior cruciate while hiking, unlike football or skiing. The same can be said for the lateral forces. I must admit that the lateral forces going through my knees when I hike are pretty low, although I dont sail in waves very often.

The movement from tensile, to compressive forces in deep flexion is a much more likely aetiology in the dinghy sailor. Deep flexion is a risk factor for meniscal damage. Hence my earlier comments. Exercise per se is not a predictor of knee degeneration e.g marathon runners are less likely to have problems compared to other athletes.

Hence the aetiology of sailor's knee can't be compared to that of a footballer, unless you kick the boat after a bad tack. I am not even positive that the incidence of knee problems in sailors is greater than the population average. Although would be very interesting to find out.

discuss....

Andy

40 years old  sailed since I was 4 (hiked most of the time) and knees are fine ... but I have done loads of other sport.

That said I think the trapeze is far the better option as I age ...

Sailed all my life, fanatical cyclist (in my yoof), swimmer, walker, 47 yrs old: knees totally 

f d, and I have never actually injured them! I pesonally think it was windsurfing did the most damage, but there was an article in Y+Y about hiking that said "if you don't do this exercise, you'll get this problem from hiking", and I had every problem they mentioned. To my mind, hiking is clearly damaging if you don't take the advice about cross training and other exercise, (but that wasn't about in the '70's when I was young). Hopefully there's no reason to suffer now!

im nearly 16, been sailing for ages but only really sailed regularly from 13-14 ive done two years in a feva and about 5 months in a laser and last weekend i went out on a laser 3000 and this week my knees have been making funny noises and twinging randomly when ive been walking around.

conclusion, i havent been hiking long enough for my knees to hurt for more than a few minutes after the race and then its only tired muscles but whatever it was on that bloody 3000 has buggered my knees.

It does kill your knees - I am in the "adjustment" phase of my new toestraps still .. And last weekend they were slightly too loose, and right on the point where I was past my battens in my hikers, but not far enough to bend my legs and reduce the strain on my legs and bring the battens back in contact with the boat.

They have been clicking for the last few days!

Oh well, Slightly looser this weekend, see if that makes any difference.