Let’s Talk About Joint Support Supplements
What does a joint support supplement even do? What should I look for in a joint support supplement?
Here we sit down with our Performance Nutritionist Tom, who guides you through the complex world of joint support supplements and hopefully makes it easier for you to understand the importance of having healthy joints.
So Tom, how can damage to the joints occur?
First of all, I’d just like to say that I’m not a physiotherapist or doctor.
But there are some common understandings of what causes joint damage such as inflammatory diseases like arthritis, and tendonitis. Even old injuries like chronic scar tissue and connective tissue.
Basically, there are a host of causes of joint deterioration. Aside from conditions, often it can be the result of general wear and tear over time, repetitive strain, and high-impact exercises, they can all contribute.
The most common is osteoarthritis which is basically when the cartilage and protective tissue break down over time. As a result, the joints become painful and stiff.
Some more examples could include repetitive motion, arthritis, infection, post-joint trauma, muscular dystrophy and even hormone disorders.
Even obesity can impact joints because the heavier you are, the more pressure you risk putting on joints.
What can be done to prevent damage to joints?
Again I’m not a doctor or physiotherapist, but there is evidence out there which suggests increasing physical activity, and keeping active. Gentle stretching with a full range of motion, keeping good posture in all aspects, and working within your limitations when exercising. Essentially not overdoing it. Dorian himself has stated on numerous occasions how important rest is and the need to listen to your body.
Also, weight management is a big one. Public Health recommends controlling your weight. Obese people have more strain on their joints typically because of their size. Even bodybuilders who are big! It can take its toll on joints, especially when coupled with heavy weight training. It’s crucial to have the correct form, recovery and nutrition to minimise joint strain.
If part of your training is heavy lifting, then focus on stretching and the full range of motion. Try to make strength training gradual and progressive over time. Increasing the weight too much too soon can increase pressure on joints. So do it gradually so that your muscles around the joints can help support the lifts.
What ingredients should I be looking for in a joint support supplement?
The evidence is pretty strong for some ingredients and others lack evidence.
To keep this simple, here are a few ingredients that’ll help:
- Glucosamine and chondroitin
- Calcium
- Type 2 collagen
- Curcumin
- Vitamin K
- Glycine
- Fish oils
- Vitamin D
- MSM
These ingredients will help to reduce inflammation and are great for overall joint health.
Is there anything I can do with my training to avoid damaging my joints?
Absolutely, again to keep this simple, here’s a list of things you can incorporate into your training:
- Improve your mobility and use full range of motion when training
- Warm up properly
- You need adequate rest, listen to your body
- Take days and sometimes a week off every now and then. Again, listen to your body!
- Avoid over-training
- Take a deload period when needed
- You could invest in knee and elbow sleeves, and a wrist support accessory.
Should I take a joint support supplement only when I feel pain or year-round?
Sometimes when you feel pain, you need to be reactive and take something for it.
Ideally, you want to consume a healthy diet that includes vitamins, minerals, protein and fats etc. You can absolutely consume a joint support supplement daily. In fact, you stand a better chance of having the basal level of ingredients that keeps inflammation at bay by doing this.
What can I do diet-wise/food-wise alongside taking a joint support supplement to optimise my joint health?
Well, we know that eating a balance of healthy fats that include monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats is good and can help overall health and joints.
Transfats which can appear in man-made foods like crisps and biscuits can increase inflammation. This is the same with sugary foods like donuts for example. These should ideally be avoided!
Part of overall health is having a diet that is high in fibre. This can reduce the amount of inflammatory fat you might absorb.
Also, consuming an array of fruit and vegetables is great too. They’re full of antioxidants and contain important vitamins.
What makes DY Nutrition’s joint support supplement so good?
It starts with a balance of ingredients. Our Renew Joint Support Supplement delivers clinical dosing of MSM, Vitamin D and Glucosamine. These are well within the recommended dosing so you can really maximise the benefits.
We also are aware that you cannot cram every ingredient into one tablet, if you tried to, it would be the size of a golf ball!
We looked at it holistically and you may need more than one supplement. Our premium collagen supplement is an excellent choice as well as our fish oil supplement. In fact, our fish oil hasn’t been exposed to peroxidation and is manufactured and stored in a cool environment. To really maximise the benefits then it would be great to use all three mentioned. All