Does Glucosamine Work?
June 7, 2009
By: Scott Welch BASc (Nutrition)
Friday night I sat on a patio near my Toronto office called The Black Bull (yes, that’s it on the left). In the warm months, it’s the place to be during the day. I was with one of my old Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity friends named Jon Gahallegr. He’s a big fella standing at least 6 4′ and weighing in at 312 pounds! Jon needs to lose about 60 pounds to be at a healthy body weight for his frame. He’s down 3 pounds though as he’s just got on on a big weight-loss kick which I congratulated him on. Jon asked me the following question which I get asked all the time when I mix with my friends outside the fitness industry:
“So as The Supplement Genius, let me ask, if there were JUST 3 supplements I should take, which should they be?”
Just before I got a chance to answer, John cut in with:
“I already know that one of these 3 supplements should be protein powder which I’m already taking 2 scoops of in the morning, mixed with my milk along with some peanut butter on toast. Then I go to the gym to hit my workout. I also do another shake in the afternoon. I also know that I should be on the Glucosamine because I’m 312 pounds and have been doing some running and shit now so I need to prevent any joint problems from happening. Ya see Scott, with this much weight behind each step on the treadmill, I’m gonna have some serious joint problems down the road if I’m not careful. So I should be on Glucosamine. I’m also on caffeine pills which give me the energy I need to workout and burn fat. But what else should I be taking Supplement Genius?”
At this stage I turned to him and said:
“It sounds like you’ve got it all figured out. Why don’t YOU tell me what supplements you should be taking?”
He looked at me all perplexed and a bit embarrassed as everyone at the table knew I was of course being sarcastic. Jon took a sip of his beer and said:
“Well no, I’ve just been doing a lot of reading lately on Google and have learned a ton about this stuff. Google is my teacher and I’ve reading lots and have also been hitting the gym all the time and I’m already down 3 pounds. So what I’m doing IS working, everything is working. But really Scott, what ELSE should I be taking?”
At this point everyone at the table leaned forward to hear what my advice for him would be. The table was silent.
“In your case Jon, I would advise you to take a good multivitamin each day to ensure that you’re getting all the micronutrients needed for…”
Jon interrupted “Ya, ya, ya, I already know all this stuff but what SUPPLEMENTS should I be taking?”
Well I thought I was just answering that question for him but I guess Google taught Jon that multivitamins are not REALLY supplements? At this stage I repeated my advice on getting a good multivitamin but added:
“The second supplement I think you should consider is a good whey protein supplement mixed in water. Whey protein will allow your body…”
Jon just couldn’t help himself again and chimed in with. “Ya ya ya, I’m already taking protein powder Scott, I TOLD YOU THAT ALREADY! I’m doing 2 scoops, mixed in milk along with some peanut butter which I put on my toast. I know that I’ve also gotta be on the Glucaosamine because of my weight. Have you seen the size of my feet Scott? They’re 15 E’s.”
Thousands of people like Jon write to me or stop me on the street to ask me what they should taking. When I begin to tell them, they get totally disappointed when I don’t recommend exactly what they’re on. So they usually just ask the same question in a different way as they think I must not be “getting them” or know exactly what they’re asking because my answer isn’t what they thought it should be.
“Well Jon, I still think the 3 supplements you should be taking are a good multivitamin, a high-quality whey protein (Jon yawned then glanced around the patio as he took another sip of his beer at this point) and the third supplement I’d recommend would be a good fat burner.”
Suddenly, I had peeked his interest. The word “FAT BURNER” seemed to instantly grab his attention. Almost like a cat, his ears perked up, his eyes widened and he leaned towards me while taking another sip of his beer and asked:
“Which fat burners? I’ve seen all kinds of them out there, but which ones REALLY works? Scott if you could take 3 just fat burners, which would they be? Did I tell you I’m taking caffeine pills before my workout? Ya see, caffeine gives your body the energy it in needs in the gym. I’m hitting the treadmill hard also and my joints are taking a beating. They’re not sore now but years from now they will be I think. So should I take these 3 fat burners with glucosamine and the caffeine pills before I workout?
“I’m not a huge fan of Glucosamine Jon, especially in your case. You need to focus your efforts on fat loss which it sounds like you’re off to a great start so far. I think you need to focus on your diet, training and the 3 supplements I’ve mentioned. You simply don’t need anything else right now. I will send you some info on Glucosamine from my Supplement Genius website. I think you’ll find it interesting.” I explained.
At this stage the conversation began to breakdown. Someone changed the topic off the supplement discussion and Jon brought it on to other funny topics like how Jon quite smoking by not actually quitting! His advice to smokers is to just smoke when you feel like it. Jon explained that you can’t just quit all out, that never woks he said. His advice is to smoke when you feel like doing it but just not allow yourself to “feel like doing it” every day. I don’t smoke but sound advice I guess! So here is some info on Glucoasmine that you and Jon might find interesting:
Glucosamine and Chondroitin
These two have been among the nation’s best-selling supplements for joint pain. Sales for this ingredient boomed after New York Times health columnist Jane Brody wrote in her column that the combination helped her arthritic dog and relieved her own knee pain by about 30 percent. What’s funny is that Jane Brody went on to have a double knee replacement! Recent studies have found little or no benefit from glucosamine and chondroitin, either separately or in combination, for treating osteoarthritis.
Does Glucosamine Work?
The best study to date, known as the Glucosamine/Chondroitin Arthritis Intervention Trial, or GAIT, has found few such benefits. The GAIT study investigated the two supplements on pain relief and to see if they could control the underlying cause of osteoarthritis — the deterioration of the cartilage between the 
bones in the joints. One part of the study followed 1,583 patients who received glucosamine, chondroitin, both, a pain reliever, or a placebo. People taking the supplements reported no greater reduction in pain than did those receiving a placebo. New GAIT results also showed that the supplements did not slow the deterioration of joint cartilage either. Supplement makers argue that the results of the GAIT study are not conclusive.
“What they did was study people too early in the arthritic process,” Luke Bucci, vice president of research at Schiff Nutrition International, a maker of glucosamine and chondroitin, told WebMD after the first GAIT results were announced. “They were starting to see some small advantages for the glucosamine group.”
A small subgroup of people with moderate to severe pain did gain pain relief, according to Arthritis Today. Also, the GAIT study used glucosamine hydrochloride instead of glucosamine sulfate, which controlled arthritic knee pain among participants in a European study of the supplement, according to the magazine. And the dosage — once a day instead of three times a day — may have been inadequate. But like all nutritional supplements, their purity is not regulated, so go with a brand you know if you are going to take the chance.
People With Diabetes
Glucosamine may raise blood sugar. Also, since it’s extracted from shellfish, ask your doctor about taking it if you have a seafood allergy.
SOURCE: St. Petersburg Times
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2 Responses to “Does Glucosamine Work?”
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A lot of information. Keep us noticed about the glocosamine benefits.
We kind of suspected that. Celadrin, however does wonders on me. 5 years ago I could not even go up the stairs. I play now field hockey twice a week. Hence I decided to sell it in my shop.