Glucosamine & Chondroitin - Is it helpful during marathon training to help with joint health?!?!?!

Read the actual study, available online. Read his comments about the study. Point out where he's wrong, if you think you can.

Oh, and WRT to your comment that his contention that it is "PLAINLY...false" that "scientific evidence overwhelmingly supports G&C as an effective treatment for arthritis," one can quibble about the meaning of the word "overwhelmingly," but yes, the research does show that G&C work well for many people in reducing their symptoms of osteoarthritis (to put it very mildly).

Okay, I'm really ticked!!!

Why oh why oh why then are these products being marketed & so highly touted by any health food shop if they probably have no effect on those with runner's knees, those with OA in their knees, hips, etc.?

Here in Canada there are strict boundaries what can be marketed.

I just skimmed through all those posts, a lot of reading.

So, one should just give it the 'college try' again and plug along WITH gls daily, say for a year, two years? More? Hope for the best for good results?.

Me, occasional use of Motrin, Advil is of some help.

I have had knee probs, and I certainly these reduced when I started taking glucosamine, though this anecdotal. I understand through that chronditon is very difficult for the body to absorb in quantities that may make a difference.

I also don't think this is an overnight solution. You may be more effective to look at your running shoe - maybe you need a shoe which is a little more supportive. If this desn't work i would go and see a podiatrist who can properly check out your gait and see where thr problem might be.

I’m taking a product called Celadrin for my arthritic knees despite knowing very little about the product, apart from the fact that it’s reasonably safe from adverse side effects.

Recommended by a fellow sufferer in the gym.

Jury’s out so far.

The interesting thing about glucosamine with endurance athletes is that, more than whether or not it is helpful with OA or not, is that it affect ones' performance negatively. There's some evidence that it _may_ cause insulin resistance, thereby limiting one's performance while running by hindering the metabolism of glucose. If you google a search for "glucosamine insulin", you should find plenty of pages that discuss this, but here's a simple link that discusses this:

http://altmedicine.about.com/cs/arthritis/a/Glucosamine.htm

I considered for a while whetere or not to take gluc/chondro as a proactive measure, but the main reasons that I don't are...

1. The above, it may hinder endurance,

2. Expense - you really have to take a lot of it (1500 mg/day) , according to the studies out there. For a decent supplement, it'll probably run you about $1/day.

3. You have to take it often - to get the 1500 mg/day, it means taking three doses per day.

4. The questionable quality of the supplements available. The studies that have been done have primarily used one brand of Gluc/Chondro (http://www.donausa.com/patient_2.htm). There is evidence that some of the brands of G/c available in stores really don't contain the amounts of G/C that they say that they do on the label.

5. I still can't get over (mentally) the fact that, like any similar substance, gluc/chondro is broken down in the gut into it's basic substrates. How this stuff is supposed to re-form and make its way into someones' joint is beyond me.

I once read a research scientist state that taking cartliage to heal your knee is like eating hair to cure baldness. It just doesn't work.