With high impact jumping, bounding and the need for good mobility, everyone in Freerun/Parkour will at some point come across joint problems or know someone with them. So it is no wonder that the most widely consumed supplements by any freerunner/traceur are those that are intended for joint pain relief. There are a hell of a lot of supplements out there offering apparent joint relief and it can be hard to decipher which is which is best suited to your needs, so be careful what you spend your money on despite what the attractive girl in the supplement store might say. Here is a by no means a comprehensive list of useful supplements that can or could help you with joint pain. Starting with in what my opinion is the most useful first.

Fish Oils

Fish oils are everywhere at the moment and for good reason. For a good diet because they contains the omega-3 fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), precursors to eicosanoids that reduce inflammation throughout the body. There are too many scientific articles to cite regarding joint destruction and inflammation. You can do a search on PubMed with ‘joint destruction’ and ‘inflammation’ and see the number of hits you get. Researchers know that inflammation plays a definite role in joint destruction. I am going to be honest and say that I have a bias towards fish oils because they’ve worked so well for myself and those who I have worked with. Having suffered with an acute case of tennis elbow from bench pressing, I took 8-12g of fish oil a day over a period of time and totally cleared up the symptoms.

Cod Liver Oil

Similar to fish oils but with different qualities. Cod liver oil has high levels of the omega-3 fatty acids, EPA and DHA, and very high levels of vitamin A, vitamin D and vitamin E. The active joint relieving elements are the same in fish oil being EPA and DHA. Cod liver oil and fish oil are similar, but cod liver oil has much higher levels of vitamins A and D. The problem here is that because cod liver oil has a very high level of Vitamin A, it is possible to exceed the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) of vitamin A. Vitamin A accumulates in body fat, and can reach harmful levels sufficient to cause hypervitaminosis. So a safer bet is to stick with fish oils.

Glucosamine & Chondroitin Sulfate

Oral glucosamine is commonly used for the treatment of osteoarthritis. Since glucosamine is a precursor for glycosaminoglycans, and glycosaminoglycans are a major component of joint cartilage, supplemental glucosamine may help to rebuild cartilage and treat arthritis. There have been multiple clinical trials of glucosamine as a medical therapy for osteoarthritis, but results have been conflicting. The important thing to remember is that most freerunner’s/traceur’s who suffer joint pain seems to be anecdotally caused by inflammation or tendonitis not arthritis. The evidence both for and against glucosamine’s efficacy has led to debate among physicians about whether to recommend glucosamine treatment for arthritis let alone anything else. While the jury may be out on the ability of certain supplements to protect and/or regenerate our joints, some people do take a better safe than sorry approach. Along with glucosamine, chondroitin sulfate has become a widely used dietary supplement for treatment of osteoarthritis Chondroitin sulfate is an important structural component of cartilage and provides much of its resistance to compression. Chondroitin has been found to have an anti inflammatory effect. The Two supplements are often offered together as a combined supplement.

Bromelain

This is found in abundance in pineapples and is a widely used herbal supplement. Often available as an off the shelf joint aid supplement. There is good research suggesting bromelain works by blocking some proinflammatory metabolites that accelerate and worsen the inflammatory process. It is an anti-inflammatory agent, and so can be used for sports injury, trauma, arthritis, and other kinds of swelling. Doses of 200 mg have proven to be a useful alternative to conventional anti inflammatory drugs.

Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM)

This is a relatively new supplement that has appeared and is being marketed for treatment of joint pain and osteoarthritis (often in combination with glucosamine and/or chondroitin). The effects of supplemental MSM are poorly understood. It has been recommended in treatment for certain patients. These treatments lack enough direct research support and may not play as much of a role in actual soft tissue rebuilding as some of our other supplements. However, some people do swear by them.

S-Adenosyl Methionine (SAMe)

SAMe is a is a coenzyme made from ATP and an amino acid methionine. This supplement is often promoted for the treatment of depressed mood, osteoarthritis, and liver disease. SAM-e’s joint support lies not only in its ability to help regulate the body’s normal inflammatory processes, but also on its participation in joint cartilage repair. The research suggesting this is scant at best and the supplement is probably best avoided till more research is done.

Conclusion

Find joint supplements that are effective can be a bit of a minefield, because there is a lot of hearsay and conjecture. As mentioned before people will swear by supplements that seemingly have very little effect on others. What can’t be ignored however is the growing body of research that supports omega 3 consumption as key to maintaining proper joint health and staying inflammation free. So take your fish oils and glucosamine and keep on moving.

More About The Author - Will Wayland

Will’s academic background, coupled with his ‘under the bar” experience , has proven to be a recipe for success. Will has worked with athletes of all levels, from youth sports to the professional. Will specialises in developing the body for the goal of enhancing performance. Heavily inspired by russian conjugate squence system his training methods are used by athletes, bodybuilders, and fitness enthusiasts of all ages and from all walks of life. He has a Bsc honours degree and HND in Applied Sports Science from the University of Teesside, and he specializes in the muscular and neurophysiology of human movement and performance. He currently trains, consults, and lectures around the country. You can find him on the net at http://williamwayland.blogspot.com

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