LondonSkaters Speed Team - Speed Skating & Rollerblading Club in London

Duracell · Posted: Fri Apr 01, 2005 2:20 pm Subject: Glucosamine

Anyone know much about this stuff?

I believe it's meant to help your joints repair themselves after you abuse them (by skating, for instance), but most of the sites Google brings up (e.g. like this one) are trying to sell their own particular brand of it, rather than give an analysis of what it does and doesn't do...

Holland & Barrett seem to have been regularly selling their "£25" bottles for a fiver or so over the past year, and I'm curious to know if anyone's got first- (or second-)hand knowledge of it...

Cheers! Smile

Natasha · Joined: 09 Jul 2004 Posts: 2973 Location: Basingstoke

I've been taking it for about 2 years (it has chondroitin mixed in with it), and I get it by mail order, cheap as chips (will PM you the supplier when I get home). Never have problems with my joints, but then again I'm just taking it as a preventative measure (my mum has osteoarthritis).

Erika · Joined: 09 Oct 2004 Posts: 386 Location: Lambeth/New Cross

If you want more info try searching on pubmed
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi
- the abstracts and reveiw articles arent usually too complicated

By the looks of it, glucosamine is part of the matrix in cartilage cells and is degraded in arthritis/damage etc. Loads of studies have shown that it helps repair/slows down rate of damage, although the mechanism is unknown, but on the plus side it doesnt seem to have any side effects.
PS Dont quote me - this is 2 minutes research!

Mikey-two-Names · Joined: 24 Feb 2004 Posts: 4107

Eddy's view on food supplements? Don't eat them, they are a waste of money and can potentially be dangerous. Just eat healthily, plenty of fruit and veg, meat and fish.

Farhana · Joined: 20 Sep 2004 Posts: 259 Location: Surrey

I have had problems with my knees since i was a teenager and every year approaching winter, the pain gets worse in my knees. I started taking Glucosamine in September last year and have had very few problem with my knees this year even after falling on them time and time again.
I'd say the stuff works ... I take it religiously.

Xia · Joined: 06 Apr 2004 Posts: 874 Location: Geneva (Suisse)

Adam B(GMF) · Joined: 30 Apr 2004 Posts: 237

OK please don't take my words as the whole truth but this come from reading lots on the net (www.ifyouski.com) and personal experience after messing my knee up last year

Diet can have lots to do with it
if you don't have enough oily fish (I take cod liver oil) and eat lots of pasta and bread this seems to make my knees more prone to playing up
my dad's knee are really f***ed and he swears by Glucosamin (sic) and Emu Oil
proper stretching and making sure that you don't develop muscle imbalances seems to help as well - I have a great book call Conditioning For Outdoor Fitness (from snow and rock - let me know - if you want to read it and I'll lend it to you)

Natasha · Joined: 09 Jul 2004 Posts: 2973 Location: Basingstoke

My vitamin supplier is here. A lot of the drug stores are doing 3 for 2 on vitamins at the moment so they might be cheaper, although I can rarely find the high-strength one-a-day ones I like.

Hans · Posted: Wed May 04, 2005 5:10 pm Subject:

We have the same supplier

Mikey-two-Names · Joined: 24 Feb 2004 Posts: 4107

Vitamin suplements just give you expensive yellow coloured wee-wee.

Mikey-two-Names · Joined: 24 Feb 2004 Posts: 4107

Oh, and I forgot to add, sometimes taking supplements can be very dangerous, even giving a significantly increased risk of stuff like cancer, especially amongst smokers.

Adam B(GMF) · Joined: 30 Apr 2004 Posts: 237

Hans · Posted: Thu May 05, 2005 12:26 pm Subject:

As a general rule, if you are worried about taking supplements, just chat to your GP or pharmacist and get a better idea from the experts...
My GP told me that the effect of supplements can vary from individual to individual and depends on your physiology, diet, training regime etc. Most athletes (pro and semi-pro) supplement their diets in one way or another but chat to a professional if you are worried...