Legal High Advice Needed

[mrrun]

Does anyone use any vitamin supplements? Anything that could help knees or joints in general stay strong and healthy? Well, at least healthy enough to help prevent injuries, to an extent.

Every morning I pop one of cod liver oil pills, and I also googled my question but would rather prefer to know if you guys take any and whether any works for you. Generally, my bones and joints are alright, no family history of any issues, but I am running and I am in my fifties so I’m aware of a sobering perspective.

Now that I am doing one 10K weekly, and my previous experience taught me that knees can be very temperamental, and that IannodaTruffe is cycling (treason!!!) because of a potential knee injury, I’m keen to see what’s out there.

In the past, before running, the only supplements I used were alcohol & tobacco, and regardless of endless fun I had with those I somehow doubt that they would benefit me now.

(Sigh…)

[davelinks Graduate]

Same as me then, the only supplements I used were alchohol & tabacco, like a lot on here I suspect.. I know IT uses Glucosamine & chondroitin I'm also a user of Glucosamine for the knees, I've noticed in the past it helped my knee pain and am still able to run now, don't think it works for everyone though, I pop a daily tablet of Healthspan Optiflex Glucosamine HCI 1,500mg and also take Nature's Best maximum Omega3 fish oil 1300mg. If anyone knows any better, then please let us know..😊

[Millsie-J Graduate]

How about knee strengthening exercises?

[mrrun Graduate in reply to Millsie-J]

Oh, I do those on my rest days without fail. I have sets of exercises based on my past injuries and put together by my physio. That stuff works and is easy to do, wherever you are

[IannodaTruffe Mentor]

As Dave says, I have been taking glucosamine and chondroitin for quite a few years now, specifically to address problems that I previously had with my knees. Having researched its use I could find no conclusive scientific evidence that it works, but no end of anecdotal tales of wondrous cures.

All I know is that within a few months I could continue to walk with my family, something I had almost stopped doing, because of knee pain and instability that made it feel like my knees might dislocate. A few years later again I started running, something I could not previously have considered. It seems to work for me, I have found no evidence of it being harmful and to be frank I don't think I would be writing this on a running forum, were it not for glucosamine with chondroitin.

I do also take fish oils and a general vitamin supplement.........it is probably all totally unnecessary, since I have a good varied diet and I have few other vices and when I went to see my GP in May, she looked at my notes and said "Well, we don't see you here very often, do we?"

My current knee niggle is the first time in four years of running that my knees have caused me anything but minor aches and it was not actually a running injury. I do also have to consider that the joint trouble might be associated with the hormone treatment that I am currently on for my cancer, however I think that unlikely but it will be mentioned at my next hospital visit.

Running is going to have to take a rest for another week at least, but at least the blasphemous bike does give me a fairly second rate fix and will hopefully strengthen everything up.

[mrrun Graduate]

Thank you!

[Rignold]

Glucosamine works for about 50% of people and does nada for the other 50%. No one knows why but it's worth trying to see.

Fish oil is the essential one. Take 2000mg tabs 3 times a day and buy the best quality ones you can find. The supermarket ones are worthless. I used to have terrible

Knee issues and now am pain free even though I skwaat daily with 1.5 x my bodyweight on my shoulders.

[mrrun Graduate in reply to Rignold]

Got it. Skwaats stay then.