We all wake up from time to time with aches, pains and niggles.
Whether it be joint pain, back pain or random creaks that seem to pester us daily.
I’ve always done a great deal of intense training. In particular I have recently been doing a lot more squats and lunges than usual. One Friday evening when I went to stand up after sitting on the couch, I got a very uncomfortable pain in my right knee just under the kneecap. This concerned me but initially I dismissed it and decided to see if there was any improvement the next day. I had a 7am start the following morning and the pain was still there. After the session I decided to go straight to the shop to buy some glucosamine. I had used this previously both in the SEAL’s and during my busiest training periods, particularly when I was doing a lot of running. I picked the more expensive brand as it contained chondroitin which I remembered worked in conjunction with the glucosamine. I took two of these tablets knowing that I had a busy day ahead and I needed the pain to ease. To my amazement the pain was gone in about an hour. I had forgotten just how effective this product was! I didn’t train too hard for the following 4-5 days and luckily I haven’t felt an issue since.
Later, I was looking through one of my health books called Beyond Training by Ben Greenfield and found a paragraph on the subject. This then became something that I wanted to include in the blog to share with anyone who might need help with finding a reliable and effective product.
Greenfield says: ‘Glucosamine is a sugar present in the exoskeleton of shellfish, and chrondroitin sulphate is a major component of cartilage. Glucosamine and chondroitin are also naturally produced by your body. Glucosamine stimulates cartilage production in your joints; chondroitin helps attract water to the tissue, which helps your cartilage maintain elasticity. Chondroitin may also inhibit the enzyme activity that breaks down cartilage.
For this supplement to effectively reduce joint pain, you need to look at one that contains the sulphate form of glucosamine (glucosamine sulphate), because it’s more powerful than glucosamine hydrochloride. In addition you need to take at least 1500 milligrams a day, and usually for at least 3 months, to notice any improvement in stiffness, pain or mobility.’[1]
The final thing I have to say about glucosamine chrondoitin sulphate is that when I was 19 and going through some very intense Navy SEAL training, I could definintely feel the difference when I hadn’t taken it; I could feel previous aches and pains gradually returning and my joints complained to me more. Nowadays whilst training and running alongside my clients, it helps to nurture the joint more. I can put a lot of mileage on my legs throughout the week, and thanks to this supplement, I can reach Sunday running smoothly.
[1]
Ben Greenfield, Beyond Training, p.200
