Supplements For Healthy Joints

Regardless of your age, it is important to protect and maintain healthy joints. Those of us whom lift heavy weights in the gym are often guilty of neglecting our joints in the name of greater muscularity. There are a number of things we can do to help protect our joints, without having to lighten up our training or limit our muscle building potential.

Firstly, having a balanced training plan is vital to ensure we have good muscle balance, and do not over train a specific area of our body. Furthermore, the rotator cuff should be exercised directly at least once a week to maintain its strength and stability. What we are focusing on in this article is the supplementation which can be taken to improve and maintain the health of our joints.

Glucosamine

A marriage of the amino acid glutamine and the sugar glucose, glucosamine can aid in keeping your joints strong, healthy and free of pain. Glucosamine is a great supplement to take for those who are already experiencing joint pain, as the supplement can help reduce the pain from damaged joints. It is of course important you contact your GP if you are experiencing pain from your joints, and before you plan to take any dietary supplement. Glucosamine may not be suitable for diabetics and people allergic to seafood.

Fish oil

As well as a whole wrath of other health benefits, fish oils also act as an anti-inflammatory. Supplementing with fish oils can therefore reduce the pain and inflammatory associated with joint pain, as well as reduce the risk of heart attack, high blood pressure and improve the immune system. Trainees should therefore aim to consume oily fish within their diet, or look to supplement with the appropriate Omega 3 and fish oil supplement. This really underlines the importance of dietary fats within everyone’s diet, regardless of training goals.

Remember, if you are experiencing painful joints during your training you should stop immediately. Continuing to train through an injury can increase the damage. Always seek professional medical aid if you are experiencing painful joints, and talk to your GP before taking any dietary supplements.