One of the most important components of cartilage, ligaments and bones is chondroitin sulphate. Similar to glucosamine which is popular with runners, chondroitin is a  mucopolysaccharide with properties which are anti-inflammatory. There are two ways in which chondroitin can aid the stresses runners place on their joints, firstly it prevents the breakdown of cartilage and secondly it actually provides the building blocks for the production of new cartilage.

Some studies suggest that chondroitin may be beneficial in warding off arthritis in later life, which runners are often susceptable to. One theory for the cause of arthritis is that the breakdown of cartilage allows blood vessels to penetrate the joint and accelerate the disintegration. Chondroitin (and glucosamine) have proven to alleviate pain associated with arthritis by maintaining optimal cartilage production.

Apart from it’s anti-inflammatory and cartilage production attributes to help maintain healthy joints chondroitin supplements may help in rebuilding connective soft tissues and damaged blood vessels resulting from injury.

Many runners, in particular heel-strikers and runners with poor form often suffer from joint soreness. So, if you suffer with hip, knee or ankle aches and pains, a course of chondroitin and glucosamine is worth trying to alleviate the problem.

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Glucosamine is a naturally occurring compaound found in the body. It is made from the amino acid glutamine and glucose. Glucosamine is required for the production of a molecule called glycosaminoglycan, which is used in the formation and repair of soft body tissues such as cartilage.

Because the production of glucosamine slows with age, taking glucosamine as a supplement is commonly thought to help repair damaged cartilage by topping up the body’s supply of glucosamine.

As a result many runners and endurance athletes take glucosamine to maintain healthy joints and prevent painful, inelastic or stiff joints, in particular glucosamine is popular with runners who suffer from knee problems.

No concrete medical studies have been conducted on the benefits of glucosamine but a recent Internet poll at runnersworld.com showed that 94.5 percent of respondents said they had tried glucosamine. 79.8 percent reported that their symptoms “somewhat improved” or “greatly improved” after taking glucosamine. Less than one percent reported that “things got worse” with the supplements.

Despite the lack of medical evidence many runners swear by the benefits of taking glucosamine as a supplement.

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