Glucosamine

[taekwondo-chick]

was just wondering if anyone takes or has heard of taking glucosamine to help prevent joint damage in the future due to doing martial arts?i just bought some and am going to start taking them,i dont want any joint probs when im older im 28 now!

[Bushido]

I used to train K-9's and we used to use Glucosamine, MGM and Chrondroitin (sp) for the dogs joints and muscles. It works great for Rottweilers with minor hip problems and such. Makes the training a little easier on the older ones too. Never tried it myself.

[Chapel]

If its good enough for dogs its good enough for me.

Its good to keep in mind that supplements cannot replace a good diet. They are just additions to make a good diet better. There are no magic pills to help you.

[Shinobi_Kokujin]

thanx for shedding some light on that....i never knew what glucosamine was

[RiveraRa]

I was wondering that as well for elbow hyper-extension.

[disgruntled]

i am suppose to be taking glucosimine regularly... i don't as often as a should. it is suppose to help if you take the correct kind. i use to take the kind that is mixed with sulfates which works the best, but i am really allergic to sulfates (which i found out the hard way)...

and chapel, glucosime is a manufactured product. from what i have been told (hopefully i am wrong because i would love a more natural form) it is extracted from the shells of shell fish. which does not exist in a normal diet, so in this case the pills are important even with a healthy diet.

i would recommend taking them now. i am 24 and have oasteoarthritis and my doctors blame my MA activity of the extremely early onset.

[Chapel]

Very interesting that our bodies would require a compound that we can't ingest too easily and don't have the ability to digest at all. I would imagine that attempting to gain enough glucosimine by eating sea shells would lead to quite painful bowel movements or other such unpleasantness.

[Spinach]

Originally Posted by Chapel

Very interesting that our bodies would require a compound that we can't ingest too easily and don't have the ability to digest at all. I would imagine that attempting to gain enough glucosimine by eating sea shells would lead to quite painful bowel movements or other such unpleasantness.

Hahaha, indeed I think it should be treated less like a supplement(ie food) and more like a medicine as you have quite accurately pointed out it is not available in our normal diet. I don't think anyone needs it though, but it does help if you are a touch arthritic. It can work wonders on older people suffering from severe arthritis. The average person doesn't really need it but I see all sorts buying it at the local supermarket.. It seems to have kind a scare effect on people, no one wants to have bad joints when they're older.

A good warning regarding glucosamine is that alot of people get upset stomachs from it so be prepared to spend more time on the tank. Also, to have any significant effect you need to take a dose of at least 1000mg. The 250mg stuff is rubbish and will have no effect. Also, take it in the morning, not at night as it requires active movement to work it into the joints.


Edit: By the way, shouldn't this be in the health and fitness section..?

[disgruntled]

good call... i was asleep on the job i moved it to that section

[waymoby27]

I take it regularly, my fiancé hurt his rotator cuff and was taking it for that but not so regularly, and I read it was for joints so I started taking it because I have arthritis and it has helped me out a LOT!!!

[chupacabra]

I'm a purple belt in a USSSA member Dojang trying to raise my game up a notch.

I go to class 2 to 3 times per week and we always go through a fairly structured stretching routine for 25 minutes at the begining of class.

I joined this forum to learn more about using glucosamine, chondroitin and MSM to relieve pain and improve flexibility in my hips. I'm 44 and healthy, not injured and do not suffer any kind of arthritis (that I know of). However, I am trying to kick higher and I am not getting there and experiencing some pain trying (which is not new...)

I plan to continue to stretch and split more, but I'm considering using one or more of these suplements to improve my hip flexibility.

I'm curious as to what experience other folks out there might have had with these supplements, as well as any other issues and suggestions relating to Hip flexibility.

Thanks!