Seeing a pattern here. Winter of 2021/22 once I was forced inside to the trainer, I successfully complete the SSB Mid Volume plan over December/January, and then moving into build, the Vo2 max TR workouts started to ramp up and I developed a knee injury that forced me off the bike for a few weeks. When I came back, I went back to base and, because I don’t race, just started riding outdoors and basically cut off most interval work but at a reasonably high volume of “Zone 2 ;)” (typically around 10 hours a week) and the knee didn’t bother me again. I took a brief off-season and started back on the trainer again toward the end of December 2022. Again, I completed the SSB Mid Volume plan and felt good about my fitness improvement. I then did the first half of build and was still feeling good, but in the last couple of weeks the Vo2 max workouts have returned and my knee issues have cropped up again. The timing of this recurrence is pretty obvious, but I’m not sure what to do about it. Is this a fit problem that only shows symptoms at high intensity? Is it just my body’s reaction to a sudden increase in intensity regardless of fit? If I let the injury heal and determine I can continue to train at the lower zones that have been okay for me, how can I safely introduce VO2 max work? Has anyone experienced anything like this before?

Typically, knee issues that relate to intensity develop because of overextension. In other words, your saddle is likely too high. A saddle that is too low may also cause knee pain because of the constant strain on the joint throughout the pedal stroke, but pain relating to underextension tends to appear regardless of intensity. Knee pain related to an increase in force production is often caused by overextension of the knee. While you can compensate for the excessive saddle height by shifting your weight and/or overextending your ankle during lower intensities, these compensations become increasingly hard to implement as power rises. Thus, your knee joint starts violently overextending under the high load, and subsequently, you experience knee pain. You never mentioned where you experience the pain, but pain derived from overextension tends to reside in the front of the knee joint. Is this the case for you?

[image] rhendering: The timing of this recurrence is pretty obvious, but I’m not sure what to do about it. Is this a fit problem that only shows symptoms at high intensity? Is it just my body’s reaction to a sudden increase in intensity regardless of fit? Give this excellent thread a read. [image] [FAQ] How to Fix Knee Injuries for Cyclists (Knee Pain) Training Knee injuries are common and SO frustrating! Please share what you’ve done to fix them in this thread. DISCLAIMER: This post is LONG, but it’s meant to be a resource on what is working for me and a place for discussion on what is working for other folks. Cyclists and “knee problems” are as common a pair as shoes and socks, yet they are highly individual and in every scenario, an individual approach needs to be taken. What I am sharing in this post is what is currently working for me. I am not s…

@rhendering What cadence are you shooting for?

That sounds right. I would say the pain was in the front of the knee joint yes. It’s sort of generalized at this point and is hurting even off the bike now but this seems like the most likely cause. I’ve known I’m a toe pointer, but have seen mixed reviews on whether or not that’s an issue. I thought if I was able to perform it wasn’t an issue but maybe it does need to be addressed.

Typically I’m in the high-80s to low-90s range

That is an excellent thread. A lot of good advice in there. Maybe I should have responded there instead of creating a new thread. If a mod wants to move this into a reply there that would be great. I can also copy this post there and this can be deleted if that’s appropriate.

Probably worth experimenting with getting up towards 105 or 110 and seeing if that helps.

I had similar issues in the past, and yes, it does start to appear off the bike too. My guess is that your saddle is a lot higher than it should be. I also identified myself as a “toe pointer” until my saddle height was set correctly. You’re likely overextending your knee and compensating by pointing your toes. When I went through a proper fitting session, I ended up lowering my saddle about 25mm and shifting my cleats 10mm backwards. All of a sudden, I started activating my hamstrings and glutes properly and having control over the entire pedal stroke. As a result, I gained about 5-10% on my power at any given intensity without a higher RPE, and my knee pain went away.

I’ve had similar issues. What I decided to do to fix this: I’m working virtually with a PT - Dr. Carol Passarelli - to address imbalances I’ve developed over the last several years. This has been really helpful with getting me to be more square on the bike, and not inflame my historical knee issues Be very mindful with ramping up both volume and intensity

Are you using ERG? It might be the quality (to precise lack of) my suito in handling ERG but I found it would injure me on VO2 Max workouts. I use resistance mode now, as I did pre my TR use and touchwood there’s no injury. I’m also hoping that with no ERG as I was doing before I won’t be scared to increase my FTP.

TrainerRoad

Ramping up VO2 workouts causing knee pain again. Any suggestions?

Training

Brennus March 2, 2023, 3:36pm 3

Give this excellent thread a read.

Topic		Replies	Views
VO2 Max training, knee issues and a very close A Race Training plan-modification	15	1085	December 7, 2023
Knees aching during longer intervals or VO2 max workouts Training	15	1852	October 31, 2018
Knee injury comeback Training injury	20	3417	July 25, 2020
Pain has developed just above the knee Training injury	12	6452	September 1, 2019
Knee Pain Inside Training	26	838	August 27, 2024

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Ramping up VO2 workouts causing knee pain again. Any suggestions?

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