The new research findings show that high intensity training was not more beneficial than lower intensity training or a healthy education control intervention.
This is important to know because thigh muscle weakness is associated with knee discomfort and possibly osteoarthritis disease progression. Unfortunately, little is known about the efficacy of high-intensity strength training in patients with knee osteoarthritis, or whether it may worsen knee symptoms.
The study was specifically designed to determine whether high-intensity strength training reduces knee pain and knee joint compressive forces more than low-intensity strength training and more than attention control in patients with knee osteoarthritis. In this randomized clinical trial involving 377 participants with knee osteoarthritis, high-intensity strength training, compared with low-intensity strength training and an attention control, did not significantly improve knee pain or knee joint compressive forces at 18 months.
You can access the article on the JAMA website via this link.