by arothafel » Wed Sep 22, 2010 6:47 am
Beware the researchers as they are often biased or just plain wrong. I stopped reading the research years ago as I found it disingenuous.
The first thing to note is that they speak to a different universe. The mass consumer. Research on supplementation rarely addresses the nutritional needs of the athlete. And, even then, like in the case of protein supplementation, the premise is incorrect thus effecting the entire research project.
For example, the last protein study I read made the claim the protein supplementation did NOT enhance athletic performance. Well, right off the bat, that is not the role of protein. Among true competitive athletes, the role of protein supplementation is muscle recovery. The ability to get up tomorrow and do it again. This is why most athletes supplement with protein directly after training or an event. To recover.
The proper research study would have put everyone on protein and then taken it away to determine the effect of muscle recovery with or without protein. Athletic performance has nothing to with supplementation. It has everything to do with proper baseline fueling, sleep and training techniques.
In the case of glucosamine, the report said that glucosamine and chondroitan “do not reduce joint pain or have an impact on narrowing of joint space.”
Most good glucosamine products include an anti-inflammatory like MSN and other ingredients to address some joint pain, but glucosamine and chondroitan, by themselves do not provide pain relief. And narrowing of joint space? I’ve never actually seen that claim on a glucsoamine product.
Plus, again, I’ll bet they tested a completely different universe full of people with very little blood flow to their joints, tendons, ligaments and bones. This is important because that’s the delivery system for glucosamine. This is why the docs put you on a bike after knee surgery. It’s not just range of motion. It’s getting blood to the joint to help with the recovery.
If there’s no blood flow to the muscle tissue there is NO delivery of the product. Most athletes, because of the very nature of their activity have fantastic blood flow and do quite well with glucosamine. There’s a ton evidence with smaller studies and athletes to support glucosamine.
So, at the end of the day, it’s like the researchers take Head 2011 HEAD W.C. i.DH RD Race Stock Skis put them on a bunch of novice skiers ... who of course can’t turn them at all..... and then declare that Head Downhill skis do not help skiers improve!
If I were a race coach, I’d put every kid past age 20 on glucosamine as just cheap insurance.