When symptoms are bad individuals will feel a pronounced stiffness and there may even be a flu-like feeling. The thickness of the cartilage of a joint depends on the stress to which it is normally subjected. The cartilage is able to absorb certain substances from the synovial fluid and swell temporarily. If we measure the size of the articular cartilage after a period of warming up, we would find that it had thickened. The thickening is only temporary, lasting for 10 - 30 minutes after the activity has ceased.
Prolonged training causes the cartilage to thicken by the formation of additional cartilage cells.
Pain often occurs in hypermobile joints and the adjacent muscles after exercise. Try each in turn to see which helps more. The peak benefit will be experienced after one or two hours and the effect will have worn off within four hours. If the discomfort predictably persists for longer periods, you should ask your doctor for a different tablet with a longer action. Hormones affect flexibility, male hormones reduce flexibility, female hormones increase flexibility.