Everything You Need To Know About Gas Pedal Knee
The Gas pedal knee is also known as “patellar tendonitis”, “jumper’s knee” or, by its more formal name, patellar tendinosis. It refers to an overuse injury of the patellar tendon where it inserts into the top area of the tibia (the larger bone in your lower leg). The area of the patellar tendon is most commonly affected and can be very painful.
Gas pedal knee occurs during activities that require repeated, powerful knee extension (straightening) movements such as throwing or kicking a ball, jumping, long driving, and weightlifting. It usually affects one leg more than the other and can happen in one or both legs.
What Are The Symptoms of Gas Pedal Knee?
The gas pedal knee occurs when the patellar tendon becomes overloaded during sporting activities, leading it to become weakened and inflamed. The tendon can either under-react (from inadequate training) or over-react (from excessive training). On the first appearance, it looks like an injury but actually more closely resembles tendonitis or tendinosis.
Symptoms include pain on the front of the knee, especially during impact activities such as jumping and running. Swelling around the patellar tendon at the top of your shinbone (tibia), an achiness and stiffness around your kneecap, and weakness in the muscles that extend down through your lower leg (gastrocnemius and soleus muscles).
How Can You Prevent It From Happening To You?
Implementing self-management techniques focused on improving blood flow to this area as well as practicing correct training programs can both help you maintain good knee health.
Insufficient warm-up before exercising is one of the major contributors to sports injuries, so make sure you take the time to warm up before a heavy workout. Here are a few tips on how you can help prevent this from happening:
1. Conduct A Thorough Warm-Up
It is recommended that you do at least 5-10 minutes of light aerobic exercise or calisthenics before engaging in your “workout” session. During the warmup process, your muscles and connective tissues receive fresh oxygenated blood, which makes them more pliable and much less likely to be injured during strenuous activity.
2. Stretch Regularly
Stretching is an integral part of any strength training routine as well as a means through which you can improve your overall flexibility. A flexible muscle is a healthy muscle. Stretching helps to prevent injury by strengthening muscles and connective tissues, improving balance and joint stability, which makes you less prone to injuries.
3. Perform Squats And Deadlifts
These compound exercises are amazing for building powerful leg muscles, particularly your quadriceps (front of thigh), glutes (buttocks), hamstrings (back of the upper leg) as well as calf muscles. They also help strengthen your patellar tendon, thus reducing the risk of injuries such as the gas pedal knee.
Take Care Of Your Body
To keep up with the demands you place on yourself, you need to give your body ample time to recover after strenuous workouts. This means getting enough sleep every night, eating a healthy diet, and taking the time to do some light stretching after exercising.