Does Glucosamine Help You Recover Faster from Injuries?
Though glucosamine is already a ubiquitous dietary supplement for those who suffer from the pain of arthritis, particularly osteoarthritis (wear and tear arthritis), many people wonder if it will help them recover faster from knee injuries.
To answer this question, let’s a take a look at a recent study published in the journal, Research in Sports Medicine (Ostojik et al, 2007). In this particular study, they randomized patients to taking either 1500 mg of glucosamine per day or placebo. Participants include those who recently suffered a sports injury of a traumatic nature.
Though glucosamine therapy did not impact mean pain intensity during the 4 week treatment course, it did have a statistically significant improvement in knee flexibility following 28 days of treatment. Overall, the benefits of glucosamine use following an acute knee injury were very minimal.
Reference:
- Ostojic SM, Arsic M, Prodanovic S, Vukovic J, Ziatanovic M. Glucosamine administration in athletes: effects on recovery of acute knee injury. Res Sports Med. 2007 Apr-Jun; 15(2):113-24.
