Glucasamine and other supplements for an endurance athlete

[PlatinumFX]

Currently I do a lot of cycling and also am going to start some running (once Ive bought some shoes). Id be very appreciative of recommendations for Glucosamine / joint care supplements at competitive prices. The priority is the quality of the product over the price but I would hope not to have to pay more than £20 for a three month supply.

 

[Chong Warrior]

http://www.myprotein.co.uk/

Go here and choose Glucosamine/chondroitin/MSM. I'd recommend 300g:100g:300g respectively for the best bang for buck. Mixed together this would give you 700g for £29 which is an incredible saving over high street prices.

Glucosamine on it's own isn't that good, infact I found it to be almost useless. It's only when taken with the other two they all seem to work synergistically and things seem to improve. I used this combo about 18 months ago and haven't needed to buy anymore joint supplements since

If you use the code MP5500 on your first order you'll get a further 5% off.

 

[Chong Warrior]

I will say these only help with joints. Another very worthy addition is vitamin C and also jelly (for the gelatin).

If suffering with tendon problems then these are useless. This is when a herb called Cissus Quadrangularis is pretty much THE best thing you can take, it really is the dogs ******* so to speak

I wouldn't recommend buying that from myprotein though. For that I'd go to www.bulkpowders.co.uk and buy the USPLabs stuff, it's expensive though

Sorry I don't have any discount code for there I'm afraid.

 

[heeeed]

Glucosamine is a very good supplement. There is a lot of evidence in its use for osteoarthritis (wear and tear arthritis) most people on this forum will be hammering their joints to a greater or lesser degree, especially the runners and body builders just from carrying a lot of weight.

I normally recommend it as pretty much a first line treatment to my patients with osteoarthritis, although I would normally suggest 1-1.5g is suitable. There is increasing evidence coming out for chondroitin also, although not as much currently as for glucosamine.

It is the only supplement I personally take, and it is also taken by 4 of the 5 GP's I work with. I take just glucosamine without other supplements. It is unlikely that you will physically feel much difference whilst taking it unless you have OA, but it certainly reduces OA developing.

 

[Jeffstar]

Supplementing with Glucosamine/chondroitin to cure joint problems is just another one of those supplement company myths.

Save your money mate, or just go for this brand

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/ActiveAging/story?id=3046818&page=1
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/PainManagement/wireStory?id=4310281

 

[Chong Warrior]

I can honestly say glucosamine alone isn't worth the effort... especially if you're suffering with joint pain already. Which most people who are looking at such things usually are..?

 

[heeeed]

I can tell you Jeffstar that glucosamine does have a lot of evidence behind it, and is the only supplement I have come across that I do have faith in. It will probably be in the next NICE guidelines for treatment of OA. I have read an awful lot of research into it and in high quality peer review journals not the places where a lot of the "supplement" market is discussed. I would also consider myself fairly experienced in assessing the quality of clinical research to make a judgement on their conclusions. It has measureable clinical outcomes such as joint space narrowing being reduced and also a relatively low number needed to treat to see benefits. I also have dozens of patients who have given me personal anecodatal evidence as well.

As I said before I regularly advise it to my patients, and I assure you I do not take lightly advising someone to take a supplement, especially as my PCT does not allow me to prescribe it and working in a relatively deprived area these people do not have a lot of money to splash out on health supplements

 

[Chong Warrior]

Don't take him on, he quotes from sites like ABC and then spouts them off to be gospel... say no more??

 

[Jeffstar]

Don't take him on, he quotes from sites like ABC and then spouts them off to be gospel... say no more??

ABC news are just reporters you muppet

Is this site any better for you? http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=82235

 

[Jeffstar]

I can tell you Jeffstar that glucosamine does have a lot of evidence behind it, and is the only supplement I have come across that I do have faith in. It will probably be in the next NICE guidelines for treatment of OA. I have read an awful lot of research into it and in high quality peer review journals not the places where a lot of the "supplement" market is discussed. I would also consider myself fairly experienced in assessing the quality of clinical research to make a judgement on their conclusions. It has measureable clinical outcomes such as joint space narrowing being reduced and also a relatively low number needed to treat to see benefits. I also have dozens of patients who have given me personal anecodatal evidence as well.

As I said before I regularly advise it to my patients, and I assure you I do not take lightly advising someone to take a supplement, especially as my PCT does not allow me to prescribe it and working in a relatively deprived area these people do not have a lot of money to splash out on health supplements

I don't know which Glucosamin studies you've seen but many of the earlier studies were sponsored by Rottapharm, yep, a glucosamine manufacturer.

But it appears our resident supplement expert also disagrees with you:

Glucosamine on it's own isn't that good, infact I found it to be almost useless.

I can honestly say glucosamine alone isn't worth the effort

There you go. So maybe you should stop prescribing Glucosamine on its own!

 

[Chong Warrior]

There you go. So maybe you should stop prescribing Glucosamine on its own!

What are you talking about..?

 

[Chong Warrior]

ABC news are just reporters you muppet

Is this site any better for you? http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=82235

Did you even read your own link??

First of all, the team determined one of the preparations to be useless.

"I think we have shown pretty conclusively that glucosamine hydrochloride doesn't work," Vlad said. "The data there is all consistent, it goes together -- there's just no evidence that it works."

But that wasn't the story with the other preparation, glucosamine sulfate.

Do you post anywhere else but here btw?

 

[Roland0]

medical thread?

 

[Jeffstar]

What are you talking about..?

I was responding to heeeed. He stated that he prescribes Glucosamine on its own, then i quoted you saying that that is useless.

Did you even read your own link??

Of course i do. Source of the tests: glucosamine sulfate http://www.annals.org/cgi/content/abstract/148/4/268?maxtoshow=&HITS=10&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=&fulltext=glucosamine&searchid=1&FIRSTINDEX=0&resourcetype=HWCIT You have to subscribe to The Annals of internal medicine to see the full text, but the conclusion is right there.

Do you post anywhere else but here btw?

Yes but not on any bodybuilding forums.

 

[Chong Warrior]

Of course i do. Source of the tests: glucosamine sulfate http://www.annals.org/cgi/content/abstract/148/4/268?maxtoshow=&HITS=10&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=&fulltext=glucosamine&searchid=1&FIRSTINDEX=0&resourcetype=HWCIT You have to subscribe to The Annals of internal medicine to see the full text, but the conclusion is right there.

Yet I didn't need any big 2 year study to tell me that glucosamine alone isn't very usefull... I already knew (from personal experience no less ) and pointed it out in this very thread. I prefer to try things out first hand and make my own judgements...

You always claim placebo.... Does this go for pharmaceuticals too??

Yes but not on any bodybuilding forums.

As I thought tbh.

 

[Jeffstar]

Yet I didn't need any big 2 year study to tell me that glucosamine alone isn't very usefull... I already knew (from personal experience no less ) and pointed it out in this very thread. I prefer to try things out first hand and make my own judgements....

Oh thats right, you have to mix Glucosamine with other stuff to make a nice snake oil concoction More Supplement company brainwash tactics to sell more products then. See the link above in regards Chondroitin.

You always claim placebo.... Does this go for pharmaceuticals too??.

Don't be silly. If it wasn't for drugs, many, many people wouldn't be living right now without their medication, or is that down to supplements?

As I thought tbh.

 

[tom_e]

Oh thats right, you have to mix Glucosamine with other stuff to make a nice snake oil concoction More Supplement company brainwash tactics to sell more products then.

Im not sure how you can say it doesnt work when Chong has first hand experience of it doing him some good I also find a supplement containing this does help with my bad shoulder, but then again im of the mind that even if something only works as a placebo it still works

 

[Jeffstar]

Im not sure how you can say it doesnt work when Chong has first hand experience of it doing him some good I also find a supplement containing this does help with my bad shoulder, but then again im of the mind that even if something only works as a placebo it still works

Because "first hand experience" is not proof that the stuff works, and this is the internet

Hard to argue with placebo effect though, a medical phenomenon

Start ordering now: http://www.cafepress.com/cebo

 

[pabloB]

I'm taking Glucosamine at the moment as I thought it would help with my ligament I ruptured recently - is there anything better or Chong should I have a look at this Cissus Quadrangularis or Glucosamine/chondroitin/MSM you mention??

 

[Chong Warrior]

Oh thats right, you have to mix Glucosamine with other stuff to make a nice snake oil concoction More Supplement company brainwash tactics to sell more products then. See the link above in regards Chondroitin.

Don't be silly. If it wasn't for drugs, many, many people wouldn't be living right now without their medication, or is that down to supplements?

Jezus wept man, talk about irony... you call these 'snake oil' yet you think pharmaceuticals are fine?

What's the acceptable success rate for these pharmaceutical companies is in their trials? 50% is it?!! So if their drugs only work half the time, then that's fine... but I'm being silly right?

Do you really believe they have a clue, or even care what these drugs really do long term? Doctors hand out pills without batting an eyelid... pills that are dangerous and addictive, making them worse than the illness they're prescribing them for in a lot of cases??

I'd put money on most of the time poor nutrition and a lack of exercise is the real cause, yet drugs are handed out instead. There's lots of money involved here after all! Why help people get better by showing them the cause when you can charge them and just treat the symptoms??

Guess the only one's who can afford to spend money on trials (which cost mega money btw)? The big pharmaceutical companies... do you think they're going to pay for them unless the results show what they want?

We had a guy come over to another forum, very intelligent who knew his onions. He worked in the industry doing just exactly that kind of work, studies for these companies. He quit because he was sick of how corrupt it all was... they were told exactly what results they could and could not release and he's bound by some kind of secrets act he was forced to sign. All he could say really was to always check who paid for the study you're reading... Money corrupts and the mind boggles how much is in that game wouldn't you agree?

Because "first hand experience" is not proof that the stuff works, and this is the internet

Hard to argue with placebo effect though, a medical phenomenon

Start ordering now: http://www.cafepress.com/cebo

Yes the placebo effect is well known... it doesn't mean EVERYTHING is a placebo you muppet