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Post by QikTrnz on May 13, 2008 10:03:55 GMT -5
It's time to begin discussing Nutrition because within that general field, we are going to include supplements that go beyond just fuel and are agents for facilitating the bodies ability to maintain and repair.
The one in particular that we want to look at right now is Glucosamine.
Glucosamine is a component of red meats and before supplementary forms were available, that is how we would have gotten the bulk of our supply.
Glucosamine is a particularly important supplement for skiers and boarders as it naturally enhances lubricity of joint tissues which is a wonderful thing for knees, ankles, elbows, wrists and many other hinged, moving body parts.
If you are an athletic person and you have not heard about the benefits of Glucosamine by now, you must have been living under a rock, it's been around for over a decade as a popular supplement with a solid reputation for excellent results and no side effects.
I would certainly encourage you to verify the suitability of Glucosamine for your own use by consulting with a health care and/or nutritional professional, but in my experience with dozens of these practitioners, I have never heard a bad word spoken about it.
The reason we want to look at Glucosamine now is that it takes approx. 90 days of taking the supplement to derive a therapeutic benefit, so as we ramp up our off-season fitness program toward that magic day the lifts start up for the first day of skiing, we will be enjoying the benefits of Smoother, less stressed and/or less painful joints that plague the average unprepared skier.
More later ..........
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Post by QikTrnz on May 15, 2008 8:25:31 GMT -5
There are many different ideas about the dosage for Glucosamine, but the ones that make the most sense to me are the ones that recommend small amounts, say 500 mg, taken 3 or 4 times daily with a meal.
I have read much about the total quantities needed for a therapeutic benefit, and while there are some guidelines you can readily find in journals or on the internet, 1000 to 2500 mg per day are often referred to as adequate, depending on the height and weight of the individual.
Long term studies done on the use of this supplement have not shown any levels of toxicity that I am aware of, so you can take as much as you need to get results.
Of course, I stand to be corrected, but any normal, healthy adult should be able to derive benefit from 2000 mg. daily +/- as needed and adjusted after 90 - 120 days by which time your individual response rate should be evident.
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Post by QikTrnz on May 18, 2008 9:01:14 GMT -5
Time and again, the reaction I have gotten from those that I am involved with that have started Glucosamine is that one day they wake up and everything feels ........... "Smooth" ....
It will never take away the muscle soreness that you may experience from first days of the season, BUT .....
...... you will quickly come to realize what the difference between JOINT pain and muscle soreness is because knees, ankles, even wrists (from pole plant shock, for example) will just not trouble you the way they may have, if your response to it is typical.
Anecdotal experience shows that about 95% of the population will derive the typical benefit, so if you are a normal person, you can look forward to a noticeable improvement in joint function.
It might also be said that for those who do not have any joint sensitivities to begin with, that taking Glucosamine will prolong or insure that as you participate in physically demanding sports such as skiing or boarding, and/or as you age, the deterioration that will normally occur, will be minimized.
I must say though, that even people who claim to not have any joint sensitivities to begin with will eventually admit that they go from feeling good to better.
When you take into account how cheap it is, well, Glucosamine stands out as a great value for any athelete.
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Post by QikTrnz on May 22, 2008 7:54:19 GMT -5
Considering that the human organism is a thermogenic system that converts ingested fuel ( potential energy) into physical processes ranging from examples as simple as heartbeats, on one hand, to rocketing down the hill on the knife edge of balance using every muscle you have to maintain control, on the other hand, it is not hard to see that when it comes to the latter example, our fuel choices can profoundly effect the results.
The two basic factors that could be included in this discussion are quality and quantity.
Consider these two options:
Diet # 1 .... Donuts and Coke.
Diet # 2 .... Steak, Broccoli, and skim milk.
As ridiculous as it may seem, when you look at the sum total of what many consider a normal intake, you may be surprised at how close diet #1 is.
Lets look at the reasons why ....
qt
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Post by QikTrnz on May 26, 2008 13:41:22 GMT -5
Diet option #1 ... Donuts and Coke ....
What do they have in common with a "typical" diet ...... ????
The answer of course, is sugar and fat.
When you consider that the human machine perceives all carbohydrates as sugar (yes, there are differences in assimilation rates for simple and complex, but we're just looking at calorie sources for now) and we all get too much fat, in an odd sort of a way, the donut and Coke diet is not to far off the imbalance that many suffer from.
Too many carbs(read: sugars) too much fat and too little protein = poor performance from your own system.
Bad idea if you want to be a strong skier or boarder.
Medical and Nutritional researchers have identified all kinds of problems with our over-carbed, too fatty diet ... from constantly feeling poorly and/or overweight, to any number of physiological disorders that can even result in premature death.
Obviously, anyone looking for a high level of personal performance, should begin by upgrading the quality of fuel they take in.
Skiing and Boarding take Muscle ....
.... Strong, durable, healthy, well nourished Muscle ....
... and Muscle needs PROTEIN to grow, maintain and repair.
Thats why diet # 2 is the one we want .... but .... with a few tricks thrown in for extra punch .....
Well, DUHHHH .... you say, of course everyone knows that ....
Maybe they do, but look around at the waistlines of all the skiers you see at lunch in the chalet and you can see, even if they know it, they do not seem to apply that knowledge.
Remember, the object here is to be BETTER than average .... WAY BETTER, if you really want to have maximum fun and health on the hill.
The secret is the RATIO of fuel types we take in and how they work within the system ....
That's what we'll look at next .....
QT
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Post by QikTrnz on May 27, 2008 16:40:48 GMT -5
Time and again, the reaction I have gotten from those that I am involved with that have started Glucosamine is that one day they wake up and everything feels ........... "Smooth" ....It will never take away the muscle soreness that you may experience from first days of the season, BUT ........... you will quickly come to realize what the difference between JOINT pain and muscle soreness is because knees, ankles, even wrists (from pole plant shock, for example) will just not trouble you the way they may have, if your response to it is typical.Anecdotal experience shows that about 95% of the population will derive the typical benefit, so if you are a normal person, you can look forward to a noticeable improvement in joint function.It might also be said that for those who do not have any joint sensitivities to begin with, that taking Glucosamine will prolong or insure that as you participate in physically demanding sports such as skiing or boarding, and/or as you age, the deterioration that will normally occur, will be minimized.I must say though, that even people who claim to not have any joint sensitivities to begin with will eventually admit that they go from feeling good to better. When you take into account how cheap it is, well, Glucosamine stands out as a great value for any athelete.The "sulfate" in Glucosamine Sulfate does not mean that there is any sulfur in the Glucosamine. This is a reference to the chemical process by which the Glucosamine is derived. This is a common method of pharmaceutical manufacturing for many different substances and you can verify all this with a conversation with your local pharmacist. Chondroitin, on the other hand, is an additive that manufacturers put in to facilitate uptake in under-hydrated ectomorphs who may have trouble absorbing Glucosamine on its own. "Under-Hydrated Ectomorphs" = skinny as a rail with too little water content.... read ... marathon runner that does not drink enough, or something like that ..... Additives to basic Glucosamine make it very expensive, over double in some cases, and are, in most cases, completely unnecessary.Moral of the story, save your cash for more lift tickets unless you have a specific need that you have reviewed with your health care provider(s).(As previously mentioned, there are no side effects in normal healthy individuals, but Glucosamine should be avoided in people who are allergic to shellfish and some reports suggest elevation of blood sugar in diabetics. Finally, patients on the blood thinner coumadin may have an increased risk of bleeding.) |
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Post by QikTrnz on Mar 21, 2010 7:33:59 GMT -5
Note to Eli ....
"If Orthodox Medicine has limitations, Then Unorthodox Medicine has potential."
T360
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