Can Glucosamine Help Athletes Reduce Joint Discomfort

The evidence for the efficacy of glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate in treating joint pain and slowing the progression of osteoarthritis is not conclusive. Supplements remain unregulated so it is best to use them with caution, investigate your source, and interrogate health benefits claimed by manufacturers of the product.Some athletes say that glucosamine helps reduce joint pain. What Do the Advocates Say?* For a long time, glucosamine dominated the market among supplements used to ease joint pain. Now, many practitioners prefer to use a combination of both glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate.

Glucosamine joint health supplements help reduce joint pain and inflammation, but research shows that the type of glucosamine determines efficacy. Jack Grogan | Oct 15, 2019 Young bodies are flexible and resilient. Joints still have serious cushioning, flexibility is excellent, and mobility is optimal.

As we’ve discussed today, glucosamine helps with joint problems and arthritis. It also reduces inflammation and is a preventative tool for athletes. In particular, it targets bone and joint disorders because of its inflammatory properties.While many studies conclude that glucosamine has no benefits for osteoarthritis, others indicate that it may relieve joint pain and other symptoms.Glucosamine is certainly important in our bodies it’s one of the building blocks of cartilage, ligaments and tendons all possible causes of pain in a creaky joint.

The theory is, then, that.A few studies have looked at whether glucosamine or chondroitin can have beneficial effects on joint structure. Some but not all studies found evidence that chondroitin might help, but the improvements may be too small to make a difference to patients. There is little evidence that glucosamine has beneficial effects on joint structure.

Glucosamine and chondroitin protect cells called chondrocytes, which help maintain cartilage structure. In theory, these supplements have the potential to slow cartilage deterioration in the joints, and to reduce pain in the process.Glucosamine can help to reduce this pain.

Early in this article, we talked about how this compound is in the liquid surrounding the joints. This compound can help cartilage hold onto water. This helps to maintain that cushiony layer between the joints.

Perhaps the most important aspect of glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate supplements is that they are thought to help slow or prevent the degeneration of joint cartilage, the underlying cause of osteoarthritis pain. Glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate dietary supplements may also help alleviate existing joint pain.They found people who regularly took glucosamine, a food supplement taken to reduce symptoms of joint pain and stiffness, were about 15% less likely to develop heart disease or have a stroke. Some people take glucosamine for joint pain, but it’s no longer prescribed for this on the NHS because there’s a lack of evidence that it works.In the nutritional supplements aisle of any store, you will find several brands of glucosamine tablets.

Glucosamine sulfate is a naturally-occurring chemical in the body. It plays a role in developing joint cartilage. However, the cartilage that cushions bone-on-bone contact can wear thin (osteoarthritis) from aging or use. The facet joints in the spinal column [ ].Glucosamine How Much Is Usually Taken by Athletes?

Glucosamine sulfate, 1,500 mg per day, is effective for reducing joint pain caused by osteoarthritis according to most studies, 1, 2, 3 Whether other forms of glucosamine, such as glucosamine hydrochloride, are as effective for joint pain as glucosamine.Because arthritis involves the reduction in cartilage between bones, glucosamine might be a useful supplement to lessen inflammation, save your cartilage, delay surgery and help alleviate pain discomfort.Similar to glucosamine, MSM can help improve immunity and decrease inflammation to alleviate joint pain.

Glutamine, on the other hand, is a type of essential amino acid required by the body. It’s often found in supplement form and is used to enhance weight loss, increase fat-burning and build muscle mass and strength.

List of related literature:

Although it can be difficult to navigate through the science, only one conclusion can be drawn from all of the evidence: these supplements do reduce pain and inflammation related to osteoarthritis of the knees, and some research shows that glucosamine can even regenerate worn or damaged joint cartilage.
from AARP The Inflammation Syndrome: Your Nutrition Plan for Great Health, Weight Loss, and Pain-Free Living by Jack Challem Wiley, 2011
Glucosamine may improve pain and stiffness in some patients with knee OA, but large amounts need to be taken for these benefits to occur.
from Manual of Dietetic Practice by Briony Thomas, Jacki Bishop Wiley, 2013
The investigators concluded that compared with placebo, glucosamine, and chondroitin, used either separately or in combination, do not reduce joint pain or produce beneficial changes in the joints of patients with osteoarthritis.
from Epidemiology of Chronic Disease: Global Perspectives by Randall E. Harris Jones & Bartlett Learning, 2013
It helps arthritis, rheumatism and sciatica inflammations, reducing swelling around joints and ridding the body of calcification deposits.
from Healthy Healing’s Detoxification: Programs to Cleanse, Purify & Renew by Linda Page Healthy Healing Publications, 2008
Many patients with OA who take it claim that it helps to relieve joint pain.
from Family Nurse Practitioner Certification Intensive Review: Fast Facts and Practice Questions, Second Edition by Maria T. Codina Leik, MSN, ARNP, FNP-C, AGPCNP-BC Springer Publishing Company, 2013
Glucosamine is selectively absorbed and supplementation has been reported to relieve joint pain in OSTEOATHRITIS by exerting a protective effect on joint tissue and in supporting cartilage repair.
from The Encyclopedia of Nutrition and Good Health by Robert A. Ronzio Facts On File, 2003
• Glucosamine and chondroitin do not relieve most OA pain, but they may be effective in moderate to severe knee pain resulting from trauma or overuse.
from Pharmacology for the Primary Care Provider E-Book by Marilyn Winterton Edmunds, Maren Stewart Mayhew Elsevier Health Sciences, 2008
Glucosamine and chondroitin have shown some success in reducing the pain; intra-articular injection of highmolecular-weight visco supplements, particularly hyaluronic acid, has been successful in decreasing knee pain with OA.
from Davis’s Diseases & Disorders: A Nursing Therapeutics Manual by Marilyn Sawyer Sommers F. A. Davis Company, 2018
While these supplements can’t promise to be a magic bullet, they do have a lot to offer—from decreasing reliance on NSAlDs to doing what doctors can’t: relieving the inflammation, mobility impairments, and pain of arthritis while actually promoting the growth of new, healthy cartilage.
from User’s Guide to Nutritional Supplements by Jack Challem Basic Health Publications, Incorporated, 2003
Glucosamine is a popular OTC drug; however, a meta-analysis of clinical trial results has shown that compared with placebo, glucosamine does not reduce joint pain or improve narrowing of joint space (Wandel et al, 2010).
from Pharmacology for Health Professionals eBook by Bronwen Bryant, Kathleen Knights, et. al. Elsevier Health Sciences APAC, 2018