Geschatte leestijd: 2 minutenAlmost every athlete will sooner or later experience joint pain. It can be experienced after overexertion or overtraining, and as age increases, joint pain becomes almost inevitable. The impact of joint pain should not be underestimated. An athlete who is plagued by joint pain for a long time may be forced to reduce sports activities, develop injuries, or even stop altogether.
In general, having to give up a hobby can be very annoying, and athletes will experience the additional disadvantage of greatly reduced physical health. Therefore, remedies and supplements for joint pain deserve attention. One of the dietary supplements that could contribute to reducing joint pain is glucosamine.
Contents
Glucosamine
Glucosamine is a dietary supplement taken by many athletes. The action of glucosamine is that it can help alleviate joint pain and act as a lubricant for the body. Glucosamine is an amino acid produced by the body itself. This substance is mainly found in tendons and cartilage. The body uses it as a building block for glycosaminoglycans, a type of sugar. This sugar acts as a shock absorber and lubricant, among other functions. Glucosamine is commonly found as a supplement, where it is often combined with chondroitin. When encountered in supplement form, glucosamine usually comes from the fermentation of wheat and corn, or it is extracted from crab and shrimp shells.
Scientific Research on Glucosamine
As mentioned earlier, there is a lot of interest in glucosamine from the sports world. This is why a lot of research has already been done on the exact workings of this substance, with mixed results. Especially in smaller studies, particularly those without regard to the placebo effect, the conclusions are that, although marginal, glucosamine can have an impact on joint pain. However, meta-analyses (where the results of various smaller studies are compared) and larger studies with a placebo control do not support these conclusions [1]. They report that glucosamine has no effect on joint pain, and that stiffness and general performance of joint functions are not affected [2]. Although the results are disappointing, there are no unpleasant side effects associated with glucosamine use. When using it, one may experience stomach and intestinal complaints, fatigue, and headaches. People with allergies or sensitivities to proteins in crabs and shrimps should be cautious. The safe daily amount is 2000mg per day.
Conclusion
Since we attach more value to the scientific research done on the effects of glucosamine than to testimonials from friends and family, we must unfortunately say that glucosamine does not seem to be the miracle cure to get rid of joint pain. Although the placebo effect may have some influence, it is wiser to look into another supplement and closely monitor overexertion. If you already have joint problems, strengthening exercises may help. This allows the muscles to partially relieve the joints, providing relief from joint pain. If you still want to purchase glucosamine supplements, avoid glucosamine hydrochloride. This form is not effective. Glucosamine sulfate offers better efficacy.
References
- Wandel, S., Juni, P., Tendal, B., Nuesch, E., Villiger, P. M., Welton, N. J., . . . Trelle, S. (2010). Effects of glucosamine, chondroitin, or placebo in patients with osteoarthritis of hip or knee: Network meta-analysis. BMJ (Clinical Research Ed.), 341, c4675.
- Towheed, T. E., Maxwell, L., Anastassiades, T. P., Shea, B., Houpt, J., Robinson, V., . . . Wells, G. (2005). Glucosamine therapy for treating osteoarthritis. The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, (2)(2), CD002946.
