subject: Long Distance Running And The Effects On The Knees [print this page] Whether you run for pleasure or train for events, long-distance runners will eventually put thousands of joint pounding miles on their joints. This high impact pressure on sensitive joints, particularly the knees, can eventually take its toll. The estimated impact to the knee joint ranges from 2 to 3 times the body weight of the runner, exerting tremendous repetitive loads to the joint. The brunt of impact is cushioned by the cartilage and connective tissue supporting the knee. The cartilage is acting as a shock absorber. While the act of running may or may not increase the chance of osteoarthritis is debated, but an injury to joint cartilage will most likely rear its ugly head later in life in the form of osteoarthritis.
For some, it is purely genetic. Millions of people suffer from arthritis in the United States - whether they are professional athletes or stay-at-home mothers. While many forms of arthritis are genetic, some forms - such as osteoarthritis - can be brought on by injury or repeated, if not abusive, use of a joint. Where does the joint pain originate?
Osteoarthritis is a debilitating disease that is degenerative - it continues to get worse over time. About one in every 12 Americans suffer from osteoarthritis and the risk for developing it increases with age and lifestyle. Like all other forms of arthritis, there is no cure.
Osteoarthritis is nothing more than the break down of joint cartilage. Unfortunately, this simple-to-explain disease can involve debilitating pain as the break down of cartilage leads to a narrowing of the space between the bones meeting in a joint. When the cartilage "cushion" wears away, and the space in the joint narrows, bone rubs against bone.
Elite athletes, such as long-distance runners, are particularly susceptible to osteoarthritis due to repeated stress on the weight-bearing joints of the lower body. The constant pounding on the knees and ankles of runners, coupled with the tendency to "push through" pain serves only to exacerbate the problem. Even one injury - one sprained ankle, one fall on the knee - can trigger a lifetime of pain.
What can you do? Research strongly suggests that regular supplementation with high-quality glucosamine and chondroitin is particularly effective in not only decreasing inflammation, but also in building new cartilage and lessening future pain. This is in sharp contrast to traditional prescription treatment with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) which only mask pain by temporarily decreasing joint inflammation but never affecting a positive result in the joint.
Glucosamine and chondroitin are two natural molecules that serve as the building blocks for healthy cartilage. In an arthritic joint, those molecules are not readily available to the body, thus deteriorating cartilage cannot be replaced. In essence, the cartilage is "behind the power curve." Supplementation with glucosamine and chondroitin gives the damaged joint the boost it needs to recover.
When it comes to supplementation, the choices are many. Powder, capsules, pills... competing companies and brands... which to choose? With nearly one million bottles sold, Synflex, also spelled Syn-flex, is America's most trusted name in premium liquid glucosamine supplementation. Synflex recently introduced a new product, designed especially for the needs of athletes - Synflex 1500. At 1500 mg of glucosamine per oz. dose, Synflex 1500 offers 20% more glucosamine per dose than the Original Synflex formula. The addition of white willow bark, for natural anti-inflammatory benefits, is also a plus.
