Running is one of my hobbies I simply could not live without. Every serious runner knows exactly what I am talking about. But as with any sport, running creates opportunities for injuries. Most are just pulls and strains which will heal with a few days of rest. Others are more chronic and often associated with joint pain.
Of course aspirin or other anti-inflammatory product will temporarily relieve the pain. But these drugs do not provide any mechanism for repairing the problem. Oftentimes, it is older runners who have more time to devote to running and actually train more days and run more miles per week. These miles can be hard on the joints if they are run on pavement as most are.
Non-runners like to believe runners will get arthritis later in life because of running. However, there have been studies on this subject which have found there to be no connection between running and the development of arthritis later in life. This is not to say that joint pain is not a part of many runners’ lives from time to time.
Most generally, painful joints occur because of wear and tear on the cartilage of the joint tissue. Cartilage is what cushions bones and keeps them from rubbing one another within the joints. If bones rub each other without the proper amount of cartilage for protection, they cause pain.
As stated earlier, aspirin will relieve the pain temporarily, but what is really needed is more healthy cartilage. The number one thing a runner can do is to eat healthily and provide their body with all the nutrients needed to allow their body to keep up with their running lifestyle. Additionally, many runners choose supplementation to ensure their bodies receive all the needed nutrients. Aside from a multi-vitamin, the number one supplement choice of runners is glucosamine sulfate. Glucosamine has a long history of success when it comes to strong and healthy joints. The cartilage within joints uses glucosamine to regenerate and repair itself. Glucosamine is a product found naturally in nature.
Besides the fact it works great for joint pain, one of the best qualities of glucosamine is there are no side effects. Only those who are allergic to shellfish should beware of taking it since glucosamine is often derived from shellfish.
Although athletes are major users of glucosamine, the largest market share goes to people with arthritis. There is no safer way to insure arthritis sufferers have the needed joint-building compounds than with glucosamine. Because of the recent news items concerning the dangers of many prescription arthritis products, it only makes sense to try glucosamine before risking the possible side effects of prescription arthritis drugs.
Always ask your doctor his or her opinion of glucosamine. The majority of doctors today are recommending glucosamine to their patients with chronic joint pain.
Article Source: http://www.fitnesshealtharticles.com.
About the Author:
The author, Steve Weber, has a Masters Degree in Natural Science. An avid runner and biker, he currently owns and operates an online
nutritional supplement store.
Glucosamine for Joint Health
