Positive Glucosamine and Chondroitin
Article in Runner’s World

Being a runner, I am also a believer in my daily dose of glucosamine/chondroitin. I was very excited to see the recent article on glucosamine for runners in the July 2005 issue of Runner’s World. I have summarized the article for you here. You can read more about Flexicose for athletes here.

The author, Amby Burfoot, begins by stating his belief that glucosamine/chondroitin is not only a very popular supplement now, but its future looks extremely promising too. He even suggests investing in companies who produce glucosamine! Currently glucosamine/chondroitin sales are approaching 2 Billion dollars! And with all the recent news about the dangers of COX-2 inhibitors, like Viox and Bextra, sales are sure to skyrocket.

The number one complaint of runners is knee pain. And for runners, the number one supplement is already glucosamine. A poll at runnersworld.com showed that a whopping 94.5 of respondents stated that they had at least tried glucosamine/chondroitin. And of those, 79.8 percent said the glucosamine helped them somewhat or greatly. And only one percent said, “things got worse”. These statistics are very nearly in the “miracle status” range! Of course they are not surprising for those of us already taking glucosamine/chondroitin.

Glucosamine/Chondroitin Is All Natural

Glucosamine and chondroitin both occur naturally in the body. For this reason there are virtually no side effects. Most glucosamines are produced with the skeletons of shellfish. Therefore, only those allergic to shellfish may have any worries about taking the supplements. (Always consult your doctor before taking any supplement.) Chondroitin is produced from the cartilage of cow or shark cartilage. Although both have relatively low rates of absorption (liquid forms of the supplements absorb better), they are both widely used by athletes and sufferers of joint pain. It’s the wearing away of cartilage which causes joint pain. No one is exactly sure why cartilage wears away. Often it is the result of a past trauma as a football or skiing injury. However, some cartilage loss is simply due to overuse in people who are vulnerable to it. Contrary to popular belief outside the running community, there are no studies which have shown running to cause osteoarthritis. It seems if one is susceptible to it, it will occur with or without running.

One may often encounter guarded optimism from the medical community. This is because to date there have been no long range studies of glucosamine and chondroitin. Only when the currently active studies are completed in the U.S., will doctors feel more comfortable touting glucosamine as an answer to osteoarthritis and joint pain. Actually, glucosamine/chondroitin use in Europe has a much longer history. It has been an accepted method for fighting arthritis there for several decades

Recent Studies

The most recent study was a meta-analysis completed in 2003 and published in The Archives of Internal Medicine. This paper reviewed studies from 1980 to 2002. It summarized its findings by stating, “Our results demonstrated a highly significant efficacy of glucosamine on all outcomes including joint space narrowing.” The paper also listed chondroitin as “effective” on numerous outcome measures and also added, “Safety was excellent for both compounds.”

There are numerous other studies supporting the products also. However, most of the medical community is awaiting a very large study by the National Institute of Health which is due out this fall. One of the past studies done in 1999 was on a group of Navy SEALS. All the SEALS in this group had already been diagnosed with knee osteoarthritis. The research involved a 16 week double blind study. Half the group took a supplement containing glucosamine/chondroitin. The other half took a placebo. In all cases the SEALS who received the supplement experienced relief from symptoms!

Before Deciding to Use Glucosamine/Chondroitin

Glucosamine isn’t a miracle supplement. But it can reduce joint pain in many cases. Remember that running does not cause arthritis, but it can aggravate it if you are vulnerable to it. One should always listen to their body. If knee pain is persistent, stop running for a while! Never try to mask the pain with any kind of drug or supplement. However, if you have temporary pain, glucosamine may be just the thing. Remember that nutritional supplements are not regulated by the FDA. There are many choices out there, and consumers should be very careful when choosing their glucosamine/chondroitin supplement. One should look for about 1500 mg of glucosamine per day combined in one dose or several.

Article summarized by Steve Weber July 11, 2005

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