Research
Energy balance
Combined exercise and diet intervention improves specific gait biomechanics (loading rate and maximum braking force) more than exercise alone in older adults with knee osteoarthritis.
Losing weight through diet and exercise can reduce the impact forces on your knees during walking. This may help protect your joint cartilage over time, even if your pain levels are similar to those who just exercise.
GoodSupportsMEDIUM confidence
At 6 months, the E&D group had a significantly greater loading rate (P = .03) and maximum braking force (P = .01) during gait.
Why this rating
Randomized clinical trial, small sample size.
Source
Exercise and Weight Loss in Obese Older Adults with Knee Osteoarthritis: A Preliminary Study
Stephen P. Messier et al. · Journal of the American Geriatrics Society · 2000
DOI 10.1111/j.1532-5415.2000.tb04781.x
rct · n=24Cited 291×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- A combined dietary and exercise intervention produces significant weight loss (mean 18.8 lb) in older obese adults with knee osteoarthritis, whereas exercise alone yields minimal weight loss (4.0 lb).Good
- Both exercise alone and combined exercise/diet interventions significantly improve knee pain, disability, and physical performance in older adults with knee osteoarthritis, with no significant between-group differences in pain scores.Good
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