If you follow a few simple rules, you will stay pain-free for longer. Rhythmic pedalling keeps the cartilage supple. But when it gets cold outside, aching joints spoil the fun for many a cyclist. "On the knees, hands and feet, the warming layer of muscle and fatty tissue is extremely thin. That's why the joints located there cool down quickly," explains Dr Claus Oehler, orthopaedist and sports physician from Augsburg. The cold receptors in the body sound the alarm and report the temperature change to the brain.
As a result, the vessels in the joints, which are already poorly supplied with blood, contract. This allows more warm blood to flow inside the body to the vital organs. However, this causes the temperature in the joints to drop even faster. If it gets really cold, the sensation of pain sets in. The good news for cyclists: even if you cycle to work every day in winter, you don't need to worry about the health of your knee or wrist joints.
