JOINT SUPPORT

Types of Glucosamine to Avoid:

Glucosamine sulfate by itself is perfect for the body's use, but you should avoid Chondroitin Sulfate with the NaCL (or KCl) (or if the ingredients list says potassium or salt after the sulfate).Some manufacturers are somewhat tricky about this; remember, unless it only says Glucosamine Sulfate or HCL, you likely are getting an inferior product. It is easy for people to see the Chondroitin Sulfate and simply ignore the KCl abbreviation on the end. Since we are not all molecular scientists, paying attention to the NaCl and KCl ("the salts") highlights even more (unneeded but cheaper) carrier molecules that can be up to 30% of the product's weight. Albeit that some carrier molecules are needed... such as sulfate or HCL alone, this is primarily because raw Chondroitin exists as an unstable molecule. This arthritis supplement absolutely needs to be bound to the sulfate or HCL carrier in order to be stored successfully. NAG (N-Acetylglucosamine or N-Acetyl-D-Glucosamine), is another rarer form of Chondroitin that should be totally avoided altogether due to it's ineffectiveness and useless expense. Be warned; watch out for Chondroitin products with those markings.

How does this supplement work?

This supplement will work inside your body by stimulating the production of the Glycans (). Your Glycans acts as a "nutrient base" for the growth of your cartilage. Stimulating the production of the Glycans will set off a complex chain of cellular construction that increases the density and viscosity of your cartilage over time. This healing process does not happen overnight like a drug, Chondroitin must be supplied continuosly with excercise over time that is relatant to your age and joint damage. This rebuilding and healing is exactly what reduces and eliminates your joint pain.

What is it and where does it come from?

Glucosamine is formed when glucose combines with an amino acid. It is a building block for cartilage. Glucosamine sulfate is a form of glucosamine that has some extremely beneficial uses, especially for healing connective tissue. This arthritis treatment is a small and simple molecular building block used to aid body builders and athletes with joint pain by helping to repair and lubricate the cartilage around damaged joints.The body absorbs this arthritis supplement quickly and efficiently when ingested. It is found in seashells and high quality supplements of Glucosamine sulfate are available from 77 Canada Pharmacy

What does it do and what scientific studies give evidence to support this?

According to convincing research, Chondroitin sulfate may take a part in healing wounds as well as regenerating cartilage in joints. By providing joints with the essential raw materials, Chondroitin sulfate can help rebuild cartilage and lessen joint pain. Research shows that it is absorbed into the body at a rate much more effective than other "joint-healers". Because of the small size of the molecules, they are absorbed at a rate of 98%--compare that to the mere 13% absorption rate of chondroitin sulfate, and you can understand why glucosamine sulfate works so much better. By stimulating production of additional synovial fluid, studies show that glucosamine sulfate helps keep joints in the body rolling smoothly. Recent studies have found that as a readily absorbed building block for cartilage, glucosamine sulfate works as a rebuilder of cartilage in humans.

Who needs it and what are some symptoms of deficiency?

Not only can those who suffer from joint pain benefit from this supplement intake, but athletes and bodybuilders can greatly benefit as well. In fact, nearly everybody who trains with weights may have a tendency to overuse certain joints, and consequently, this arthritis capsule can help to regain cushioning, protecting cartilage around joints. A deficiency has not been found to occur in humans.

How much should be taken? Are there any side effects?

Most studies show that supplementing a balanced diet with about 500 mg three times a day is very effective. There have been no reported cases of toxicity associated with proper dosages of glucosamine sulfate.

EXERCISE AND AGING

Exercise May Slow Aging at the Molecular Level. It is frequently proposed that regular physical activity can aid in prolonging the lifespan when performed at moderate levels. It is suggested this extension of life, and most importantly, total number of healthy years is due to various physiological and psychological benefits associated with routine exercise. Many individuals engage in regular training routines to suppress disease while enhancing their overall vitality and promoting longevity of their lifespan. In a current study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, researchers investigated this topic at the molecular level. DNA telomere shortening within bodily cells is a tell-tale sign of the aging process; therefore researchers explored the consequences of physical activity on telomere biology to see if exercise may truly have an anti-aging effect. Levels of telomere-stabilizing proteins, apoptosis regulators (control the elimination of damaged or unneeded cells without negative inflammatory effects on surrounding tissues), and circulating leukocytes were examined within comparative groups of endurance athletes or sedentary humans and active or sedentary mice.

Within the subgroups where mice were examined, half were randomly selected to freely exercise on a wheel while the other half were inhibited from engaging in structured activity for a three week period. The mice that exercised presented with elevated telomerase activity in the thoracic aorta and circulating mononuclear cells (a type of macrophage), increased expression of telomere stabilizing proteins, and showed reduced expression of apoptosis regulators. This illustrates that reactive systemic dynamics from the exercise may have had a protective and anti-aging effect with relation to telomerase activity.

When the human subgroups were examined, a group of professional track-and-field athletes (mean age 20.4) and middle aged endurance runners (mean age 51.1) that had a training tenure of approximately 35 years were compared with a sedentary group of individuals of similar ages who rarely engaged in physical activity. The endurance athlete group presented with increased telomerase activity, elevated telomere-stabilizing proteins, and downregulation of apoptosis regulators when compared to the sedentary controls. The older, physically inactive controls had significantly shorter telomeres than all other participants. Furthermore, relative telomere erosion in circulating leukocytes were considerably lower in the endurance athletes who had trained for decades when compared to the sedentary controls.

“Our study population may have been too small and too young to detect subtle differences in telomere length, but the data show that beneficial anti-senescent effects of physical activity are observed more rapidly than effects on telomere length itself”, the researchers stated. The researchers also acknowledged that the possibility could not be excluded that advanced telomere shortening in the older physically inactive controls was not partly due to an unknown selection bias. Also, it could not be induced to what extent exercise’s advantageous effects on metabolism, heart rate, and blood pressure regulated telomere biology, as opposed to the physical activity itself. The researchers did claim that the observations were direct evidence that exercise does have anti-aging and prominent vasculoprotective effects. In summary, it seems that prolonged structured exercise may have a significant effect on preserving telomere length and the potential for a longer life. These findings may help to maintain the motivation to stay active now, so that one can continue to be active for many years down the road.

BACK FLEXIBILITY AND STRENGTH EXERCISES:

Anyone who has ever suffered from a major backache knows how central the back is, even in times you might think it isn't important. Even something like squeezing a tennis ball, an action that involves a focus on the fingers, forearm and bicep will involve the latissimus dorsi and other back muscles.

The lats are the large 'side' muscles that make a man triangle-shaped. To demonstrate how they are used during squeezing a tennis ball, try it! You'll quickly feel a tensing of the muscles on the side of the arm you use. It's especially noticeable if you have back pain.

Any sport will require strong back muscles, for speed and coordination, for balance and movement and for providing a strong 'pillar' for all the limbs to move off of.

Here are some simple exercises to help stretch and strengthen those all-important back muscles. Most of them are better performed on a firm, but not hard surface. While you work the muscles, you don't want to cause undue, painful pressure on bony parts of the body.

Knee to Chest

Lie on your back and clasp your hands behind one thigh. Pull slowly toward the chest, keeping the other leg flat on the ground. Vary the action by flexing the ankle - first pointing the toe, then pulling it back toward the knee - at the same time as you stretch the leg.

Hold each position for 5 seconds, then switch legs and repeat. Do 10 reps.

Rotations

Lie back, knees raised and together, feet flat on the floor. With your arms extended and near the body, and your palms flat on the floor, lift the feet off the ground slightly and rotate your trunk by moving the knee. Move the knees slightly left, then right.

Over time, as you become more flexible and build strength, you can increase the range of motion. Ultimately, you should be able to touch your knee to the floor.

Alternate the action by crossing your arms over your chest, then repeat.

Pelvic Press

Lie down on your back, knees raised and feet flat on the floor. Push the small of the back into the floor, feel the tension in the lower abdominals. Vary the action by moving your feet together and performing the exercise, then slightly apart and repeat.

As you press into the ground, hold for 5 seconds, but continue to breathe slowly and normally.

Pelvic Lift

Lie on your back, knees raised and feet flat on the ground, arms crossed over your chest. Keeping the legs and knees together, raise the buttocks up slightly and hold for 5 seconds. Lower slowly, count to two, then repeat.

Remember to breathe normally through the exercise, in and out slowly.

Dog Stretches

On all fours, raise your head, eyes forward. Lower your arms and arch your back, hold 2 seconds, then resume the starting position. Slowly extend one leg, as near parallel to the floor as you can. Hold 3 seconds, and then put the leg back into starting position. (If this produces back, hip, or leg pain stop immediately.)

Switch legs and repeat. Vary the exercise by extending the leg with toe pointed, then flex the ankle perpendicular to the leg. Hold for 2 seconds and repeat. Do 10 reps for each leg.

Never perform these exercises if they produce back pain. Mild discomfort from inactivity is natural. Pain is a signal that something is wrong. Consult your physician. MyNutritionStore.com/fitnessprofessionals offers proprietary products like Whey Protein for muscle repair and growth and Joint Science for Joint Health.

AVOIDING WORKOUT INJURIES

From some trainers 'No pain, no gain' really means 'you should feel some pain'. While mild discomfort is to be expected, especially for those just beginning a new fitness routine, pain is a natural warning sign. Pay attention to it.

A good workout routine will test you, but shouldn't damage you. As muscles get used, especially somewhat beyond their usual range, lactic acid, micro-tears and other physiological changes occur that result in muscles being built up stronger than before.

But if you are experiencing back pain, neck aches, knee joint soreness and other symptoms, you should consult with an expert. Your technique may be wrong, you may be trying to do too much, too soon, or you may have a medical problem that should be addressed.

Work up to any vigorous routine slowly. How slowly will vary from person to person, depending on age, experience, prior exercise routines and overall fitness. Get muscles warm and limber before cranking it up. Most strains and rips result from being too cold and not stretching, or extending more than you're ready for.

Warm-ups should take at least 15 minutes and include very gentle jogging in place or jumping jacks to get the cardio and lung systems working well. They should include some slow, gradual stretching to get joints lubricated and muscles relaxed and gently lengthened. Warm-ups that are too short can easily lead to stretched or torn cartilage that takes a long time to heal.

Don't let inexperienced trainers, or so-called 'friends' embarrass you into believing you have to get out and run five miles two weeks after an injury, surgery or other debilitating condition. Physical therapy and exercise sometimes requires that you work against discomfort, but you don't leap over tall buildings the first day out.

Every person committed to fitness will want to push him or herself to achieve excellence. But an attitude that leads to overdoing it is counter-productive to your goal. You're working to improve or maximize health and overall body tone and strength - not proving you are 'mentally tough'.

Before you begin a new routine that involves activities that are unfamiliar, get guidance from an expert. Next to bad warm-ups or overdoing it, incorrect technique is the leading cause of injury. If you don't know how to use a station at the weight machine correctly, don't be embarrassed to ask. No one is born with this knowledge. Anyone who mocks you for ignorance isn't someone whose opinions you have reason to heed.

Be aware of your environment while you go through your routine. It's easy to get into a rhythm, get concentrated on your workout and end up crashing into a wall or a nearby person. Jogging especially requires that you pay attention to the surface you run on and the people and cars around you. No shoe in existence will keep you from slipping on a muddy patch. Only awareness and good reflexes can help.

Stay within your comfort zone as you gradually expand it. One of the foremost reasons people give up on workouts is injuries produced by working beyond their capacity. That makes working out no longer fun. Building up, while you build out, to increase your ability to do more, faster will keep you going for years to come.