Protect your joints

You have managed to stick with your fitness goals all winter and now summer is just around the corner. Call it Murphy’s Law, aging, or just wear and tear but this is generally when joint pain rears its ugly head— limiting your workout intensity and abolishing your chances of being in the best shape of your life in summer 2016.  

One research-backed way to naturally circumvent joint pain is to take a glucosamine based joint protection supplement. Although there is a ton of support for glucosamine supplements for pain and inflammation, recent research published in Clinical Interventions in Aging shows that taking a glucosamine based supplement improves functional outcomes too. In this randomized and double blind placebo controlled study, subjects (with knee pain) who received a daily glucosamine based supplement (containing 1,200 mg of glucosamine hydrochloride, 300 mg of shark cartilage, 90 mg of quercetin glycosides, 10 mg of imidazole peptides, and 5 μg of vitamin D per day) had significant reductions in knee pain and major improvements in knee joint function and walking speed!

ACTION POINT: If you choose a multi-ingredient joint protection product, make sure it has 1000-2000 mg of glucosamine per daily dose and take as directed. Make sure you take it consistently (and before severe joint problems arise), as it may take up to 3 months to feel the benefits.   

Reference:

N, Ono Y, Shibata H, Moritani T. Glucosamine-containing supplement improves locomotor functions in subjects with knee pain: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Clin Interv Aging. 2015 Oct 28;10:1743-53.