Joint Care Supplements

If you lead any kind of active life, be it sports, a manual labor job, or even just spending a lot of time in the gym, you may want to consider taking certain supplements to keep yourself in the best shape possible. Specifically, I am referring to joint health. Personally I have had all kinds of issues with my joints. I have had knee pain from training for a half marathon. I have have had shoulder pain because I spent way too long not giving a damn about form in the gym. Also, as a kid I broke both my wrists and both my elbows, so they tend to get sore as well. Add BJJ into the mix and I am discovering a whole new world filled with pain and stiffness. Here is what I do to fight back.

Basically, I take three things daily.

The first is an Essential Fatty Acid supplement, Omega 3, 6, and 9. This is something that everyone should be taking, in my opinion. It has been some effect on joint pain, but in addition to this it is simply one of the best thing you can do for your overall health. They help prevent heart disease, depression, arthritis, and much more. Furthermore, they say the reason that Japanese people tend to be some much healthy than North Americans is that they eat so much fish and thus get a ton of Essential Fatty acids.

The Second is a combination of Glucosamine and Chondroitin. You can find these two in the same bottle, it is just easier that way. This is pretty joint specific. Glucosamine plays a part in building cartilage in your joints, and Chondroitin helps to make that cartilage more flexible. Again, this is something that most people should probably be taking. I spoke to athletic therapist Dr. David Paris about it and he could not say enough for it. He even gives it to his dog. The one thing that you should be aware of is that it takes around a month of usage to have an effect. It needs to build up in your system, so don’t expect a quick fix.

The last supplement I take is a Pineapple extract called Bromelain. This one is more of an option than the others. Bromelaine is claimed by some to speed healing. It is supposed to act as a blood thinner, increasing blood flow and allowing injuries such as sprains to heal quicker. It is also said to increase your white blood cell count, and thus boost your immune system. Apparently it is being used by some physicians to reduce post-op recovery time. This is kind of Jiu Jitsu specific for me. I take such a beating in the class that I seem to end up with lots of minor sprains and so on.

That said, I asked a friend whom recently became a Phd in nutrition about it and he basically said that although there are many claims made on the product, there has not been enough research done to say for sure. However, it is only a pineapple extract and he encouraged me to see for myself what results it brought. At 7 bucks for a two month supply, it seems like a reasonable enough experiment. The jury is still out, but I will let you know the final verdict.

So That’s it for me. Well, I also drink a whey protein shake after my workouts, but that is pretty common and not likely anything you don’t already do. Personally, I don’t get into Creatine or anything else like that. I have heard many good things about it, Mens Health had a great article on all the benefits of it, but it is just not for me. I kind of subscribe to the slippery slope mentality around that stuff. First its Creatine then something else, then something else, and before you know it you have lost count of all the shit your taking. But again, I hear it is a great product and it’s your call whether or not you want to take it.

~ by blairturton on May 31, 2008.