Are any of you familiar with these supplements? What has been your experience and what doseage do you take? Are these something you would take ongoing like a vitamin, or just for a few weeks prior to a race.
I take glucosamine every day and think it helps my old and damaged joints. I also take MSM a sulphur containing compound and think it also helps. Sometimes I also take Knox Gelatin in the form of Nutra-Joint.
Dosage for the glucosamine is about 1500mg/day.
Some studies show that the Glucosamine is more effective than Chondroitin as it is more easily absorbed. If I’m not mistaken the glucosamine is also the less expensive of the two compounds.
I’ve taken L-carnatine and am not sure if it did anything except make the bathroom smell like I’d been on a diet of putrified skunks. I have some around and may try it again. It’s supposed to aid in fat metabolism.
I do the glucosamine 'cause I’m going to be 50 next week and I still have got very healthy knees and I want to keep them that way. I have also taken quite a few graduate courses in biomaterials which discussed joints and joint replacement technology. I take “Jointflex” I believe it’s called. 1500 mg glucosamine, 1500 mg choindroitin sulfate which is another glycoprotein found in joints and cartilage and MSM which has sulfur which benefits joints as well as other things. You don’t really notice anything when you take the stuff, but if you miss three or four days, you will notice the difference! I only take two tabs a day, even though the label recommends four. YMMV, expecially if you are younger (say under 35-40). No experience with L-carnitine, I know what it is but I don’t take it.
Haven’t tried carnitine but there was a recent study that indicated it could reverse the effects of decreased male hormones for old farts.
Glucosamine works pretty well to keep my knees quiet. Dosage is 2000-3000mg/day and it takes a month or two before it makes much of a difference. Glucosamine bioavailability is very high so most goes to use.
Eating gristle works too.
There’s not much (if any) evidence that L-carnitine is a useful supplement…
“In conclusion, acute administration of L-carnitine did not affect the metabolism or improve the physical performance of the endurance-trained athletes during the run and did not alter their recovery.”
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=8803503
I take a MSM/Glucosomine suppliment, 1500 mg/day. More of a preventitive maintenance thing as my diet is very, very light on red meat. My knees feel great, even during high mileage weeks. I’m a believer.
Never tried L-carnitine.
Brett
My orthopaedic surgeon told me that if glucosamine weren’t so readily available, it would be the number one prescribed arthritis medicine on the market today.