By Will Brink, author of:
Muscle Building Nutrition
Muscle Gaining
Diet, Training Routines by Charles Poliquin & Bodybuilding Supplement Review
Diet
Supplements Revealed
Real World Fat Loss
Diet & Weight Loss Supplement Review
"Joint Troubles"
One of the most
common problems faced by strength training athletes is joint pain. "Oh my
shoulder is killing me" or "my knee has been bothering me for months" or "I
have been living on pain killers to get rid of this ache in my elbow" are
common complaints that can be heard in any gym at any time. Oddly enough
however, this topic is not covered very often in most bodybuilding/fitness
magazines. Maybe the topic is just not all that "sexy" or "cutting edge," but
if you're one of the thousands of people whose gains in muscle are being side
tracked by joint troubles, then you don't give a damn about sexy or cutting
edge-you just want relief!
In the past few
years I have noticed an increase in letters and e-mail from people complaining
about their joints. In all honesty, I would estimate 80% or more of most
bodybuilders joint pain is totally avoidable. If you look at people who have
chronic joint pain, nine out of ten times you can see why they would have an
aching appendage that causes them pain. More often that not, they (1) rarely
warm up adequately, (2) they train too long and/or too often, (3) they use
overly heavy weights/low reps more often than they should, (4) they don't take
time off to allow their joints, tendons, muscles, etc., to recuperate from
heavy workouts, (5) they use less than perfect form during heavy lifts, (6)
they don't take in adequate nutrients, or (7) all of the above!
Now of course we
have all had an ache or pain in a knee, elbow , or other joint at times, but
chronic long term pain is another story. This article is going to assume that
the reader has joint pain NOT because he (or she) is doing any one of the
above seven common mistakes, but has joint pain due to some other factor out
of their control. If you warm up and stretch thoroughly, train for no longer
than an hour three-four days per week, cycle your weights and reps, take time
off when you need it, have good form, take in adequate nutrients, and still
have joint problems... than this might be the article for you.
Types of joint
problems
There are of course
different types of problems that cause common joint pain in athletes and
"normal" people alike. Bursitis, tendinitis, various types of arthritis, and
other afflictions, can be the cause of a person's aching joints. Briefly, here
is a description of the most common types and causes of joint pain that
afflict athletes:
Arthritis: There
are many different forms of arthritis. The two most common are osteoarthritis
and rheumatoid arthritis. Of the two, osteoarthritis is by far the most common
to bodybuilders and other athletes. Caused by wear and tear on the joints,
osteoarthritis is characterized by a deterioration of the cartilage at the
ends of the bones. The once smooth cartilage becomes rough thus causing more
and more friction and pain. Left untreated and unchecked, this can become very
debilitating for the hard training athlete. Chronic osteoarthritis has ended
the career of numerous athletes.
Bursitis: In our
joints there are small fluid filled sacks called bursae. The bursae's job is
to assist in the muscle/joints movement by cushioning the joints and bones
against friction. If these sacks become inflamed and/or injured due to various
causes (see above training mistakes), a chronic pain called "bursitis" can
result. It's most often found in the shoulder or elbow (A.K.A tennis elbow)
but can also be found in other joints of the body. It hurts like hell and can
ruin a workout quickly if left untreated.
Tendonitis:
Tendonitis is probably the most common cause of pain to bodybuilders and other
athletes and is (luckily) the easiest to treat. However, if left untreated and
the person just "works through the pain," it can become a real problem that
will put a quick end to your gains in muscle. Basically, tendinitis just means
the tendon(s) around a joint have become severely inflamed from overuse, micro
injury, etc. Though it might sound simple enough, for people who suffer from
chronic tendinitis it's no joke and a real pain in the...joint!
Treatment
options
Again, this article
is going to assume that the reader warms up properly before working out, does
not severely overtrain, yada, yada, yada, as mentioned in the beginning of
this article. If the reader (you?) is in the gym all day, thinks one set on
the bench press is a warm up, and feels anything over 3 reps is high rep
training, than you need go no further to find the answers to what's bothering
your joints!
The treatment
options we are going to look at relate to natural compounds, or mixtures of
natural compounds, that could save a person with aching joints years of pain
and possibly even more. Unfortunately, the treatments offered by traditional
medicine at this time are generally of little use to highly active people.
Most of the treatments for joint problems address the symptoms (pain,
swelling, etc) rather than the cause and can often make the problem worse in
the long run. Non-steroidal anti- inflammatories, cortical steroid injections,
joint replacement, and the always useful "stay off it" advice does not tend to
yield the results most athletes want.
If you look at the
names of the aforementioned types of joint problems, you will notice they all
end with the term "itis," as in tendin-itis, arthr-itis, and burs-itis. The
suffix "-itis" means "inflammation of " according to The American Medical
Association Encyclopedia of Medicine. Knowing this, you can see that bursitis
means inflammation of the bursea sack, tendinitis means inflammation of the
tendons, and arthritis means....well you get the point. Medical terms for
afflictions that end in "-itis" tell us that though the causes and
manifestations are different, the final problems is one of inflammation.
Inflammation is characterized by pain, swelling, redness, and less obvious
symptoms. This leads us finally to our list of natural compounds/products that
might just save the joints of the person reading this article who thought
their workouts would never be the same because their joints are giving them so
much trouble. These products tend to address not only the symptoms of the
problem-that is the inflammation-but the underlying causes as well.
Jello Anyone?
As strange as it
might seem, the main ingredient (gelatin) in good old Jello might be just what
the doctor ordered for painful joints. Gelatin has been market world wide for
many years as a food and as a supplement. Gelatin is made from animal
collagen. In all animals-including man- collagen is an essential structural
protein that forms an important part of bones, tendons, and connective
tissues. It is a tough insoluble protein that is essential for keeping the
many cells and tissues of the body together. Gelatin contains an exceptionally
high content of two amino acids which play an important part in collagen
formation, namely proline and glycine.
In fact, it takes
43 grams of dried egg whites or 35 grams of dried non fat milk or 89 grams of
lean beef to equal the amount of proline in just 10 grams of hydrolyzed
gelatin. Though the body can form these two amino acids on its own, it has
been suggested that under certain conditions the rate of synthesis may be
insufficient to provide essential body requirements and degradation can exceed
synthetic processes (i.e. there is a steady loss of body collagen). The intake
of hydrolyzed gelatin appears to be an alternative route to getting
chondrocytes (cartilage producing cells) and osteoblasts (bone forming cells)
of the body sufficient amounts of these important amino acids for making
structural proteins. Although chondrocytes are critical for collagen
formation, their number is limited and their ability to form this much needed
protein is influenced by heredity, age, physical activity (too little or too
much), injury, and availability of nutrients.
Although bone
metabolism is quite complex and not fully understood, there is a growing
number of studies showing the intake of just ten grams per day of hydrolyzed
gelatin is effective in greatly reducing pain, improving mobility and overall
bone/cartilage health. Several randomized, double-blinded, crossover trials
have shown improvements in symptoms related to joint pain (Adem et. al.
Therapiewoche, 1991). The people at Knox (the Jello people) have made a
product specifically for bone health and joints called NutraJoint. It contains
hydrolyzed gelatin, calcium , and vitamin C. Calcium is of obvious importance
to bone health and vitamin C is an essential and limiting nutrient for
connective tissue formation. NutraJoint is cheap, has no side effects, and
tastes good. I recommend one packet mixed with OJ with breakfast for people
suffering from joint pain.
Cetyl
Myrist..what?
A fatty acid with
the long and hard to pronounce name of Cetyl Myristoleate has been receiving a
good deal of attention by researchers concerned with joint pain and health.
Being it's difficult for the reader to pronounce-or for me to write for that
matter-I will just call it CMT for the remainder of this article, OK?
Discovered by a
researcher at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), CMT looks very
promising as a compound that greatly reduces joint pain due to a variety of
causes. In animals CMT was found to be very protective of joints from
different chemicals that would normally cause arthritis in these animals.
Though the human research at this time is not as solid as we would like, CMT
has already developed a following with some alternative medical practitioners
and by those who suffer from joint pain. Several bodybuilders I work with
swear by the stuff though I cant vouch for it at this time as I have had no
personal experience with this product. Also, its effects seem to work rather
quickly and relatively small amounts can be used. 12-15 grams spread out over
an entire month appear to be effective. Exactly how CMT works is unclear but
it might have something to do with a reduction in pro-inflammatory
prostaglandins (see below) or some other mechanism. EHP Products Inc. makes a
CMT product that is endorsed by the researcher who discovered it. They can be
reached at 888-EHP-0100. A company called G nS Marketing also sells CMT (they
call it CMO) and can be contacted by calling 800-829-1514.
Flax oil for
everything!
Many bodybuilders
and other athletes are starting to see the many benefits of flax oil for all
sorts of uses. One obvious use of flax oil is a reduction in pain due to any
type of inflammatory condition, including joint troubles. To understand why
this is so, the reader must now endure a crash course in the topic of
essential fatty acids and the many products made by these fatty acids found in
the body. If you already know all this stuff you can skip over this material,
but if you don't know it, you will need this information for the rest of the
article.
The definition of
an essential nutrient is anything the body cannot make itself and therefore
must be obtained from the diet. We need to eat an assortment of vitamins and
minerals, approximately nine to eleven amino acids, and two fatty acids to
stay alive and healthy. The two essential fatty acids (EFAS) are called
linoleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid. The first being an Omega-6 fatty acid
and the latter being an Omega-3 fatty acid. If the term "Omega-3 fatty acid"
rings a bell for you it should. Fish oils are also well publicized and
researched Omega-3 fatty acids (see below) that have been shown to have many
benefits. "So what does all this have to do with my aching joints?" you are
thinking. Ok, here is the skinny on why you had to endure that previous
section. Flax oil is exceptionally high in Omega-3 fatty acids (alpha-linolenic
acid). Omega-3 fatty acids, from fish, flax, etc., have been shown in the
scientific/medical literature to reduce inflammation of any kind.
Remember the "-itis"
part of the word relating to joint problems? How do you think non- steroidal
anti- inflammatories work? They reduce inflammation, but they also come with
potential side effects and health problems. So how does flax oil do this
wonderful thing? From both of the essential fatty acids the body makes
something called prostaglandins. Prostaglandins are very short lived
hormone-like substances that regulate cellular activity on a moment to moment
basis. Prostaglandins are directly involved with regulating blood
pressure,inflammatory responses, insulin sensitivity, immune responses,
anabolic/catabolic processes, and hundreds of other functions known and yet
unknown. The long and the short of all this, without going into a long and
boring biochemical explanation, is: Omega 3 fatty acids are responsible for
forming the anti -inflammatory prostaglandins and the Omega 6 prostaglandins
are responsible for making many of the pro-inflammatory prostaglandins, and
other products derived from EFAS. A high intake of Omega 3 oils reduces
inflammation (and pain) by this mechanism. Obviously, it's a lot more
complicated than that, but hey, I only have so much space to write.
People who add in
1-3 tablespoons a day of flax oil to a protein drink, or over a salad, often
notice a reduction in pain in their joints, not to mention all the other great
things EFAS can do for the hard training bodybuilder. Flax oil can be found in
any large health food store under such brands as Flora, Omega, Barleans, and
several other names (Even better than flax perhaps, Udo's Choice oil is a
great blend of different oils. More info can be found at Udo's site connected
to the links section of this web page).
High quality
kitchen sink formulas
I call these
products "kitchen sink formulas" because they add in just about everything you
could want in a formula for painful joints. Two high quality product of this
type that come to mind are the Natural Pain Relief products by Inholtra and
The Life Extension Foundation. These products contain Glucosamine(s),
Chondroitin Sulphate, the fish oils EPA/DHA, Gamma-linoleic acid (GLA),
vitamin E, fat soluble vitamin C (ascorbyl palmitate), and Manganese aspartate.
"So what does all this stuff do?" you are asking yourself. Briefly:
Glucosamine is
considered by many as one of the best natural products for the treatment and
prevention of cartilage degeneration. It is in essential part of cartilage,
synovial fluid, and other components of joints. Chondroitin sulphate is
related to glucosamine and is part of a family of modified sugars that form
structural molecules in cartilage. As mentioned previously, the Omega 3 fish
oils (EPA/DHA) are renowned for improving pain and inflammation in joints and
other areas of the body. GLA is a fatty acid derived from the Omega-6 class of
fatty acids but has been shown to have many properties similar to that of the
fish oils/flax oil in its ability to reduce inflammation through the
production of the favorable anti-inflammatory/anti-auto immune prostaglandins.
The anti - oxidants
vitamin E and C are added because it is well known that free radical pathology
is part of the damage that takes place in the joints. Finally, the trace
element manganese is needed as a co- factor in many enzymatic processes
related to cartilage synthesis and cartilage integrity. Now you know why I
call them kitchen sink formulas! Taken singularly, the above ingredients
appear to have marginal effectiveness. Taken as a complex, they appear to be
very synergistic.
These are very well
rounded and complete-though slightly different-formulas for people looking for
some relief to their joint troubles, or any chronic inflammatory condition for
that matter. However, I have found most people will need to take more than the
manufacturer recommends to see real results, though this is not true 100% of
the time. The Life Extension Foundation can be contacted by calling
800-826-2114 or http://www.lef.org
Conclusion and
Recommendations
If you are one of
the millions of people who suffer from chronic joint pain when you hit the
gym, first make sure you are not making any of the most common mistakes
outlined in the beginning of this article. Secondly, get an opinion from a
good sports medicine doctor as to exactly what your problem is. You don't want
to self diagnose what could be a serious problem. Finally, start with one of
the above products and see if it improves your condition. Wait at least a few
months before you make your assessment. Add in a second or third product if
you don't think you are getting the results you want, which would be of course
less pain and greater mobility through the joint in question. Hey, I never
said it was going to be cheap and easy, but if serious joint pain is taking
all the fun out of your workouts, it will be worth your time and money. See
you in the gym...
Diehl-HW and May
EL. "Cetyl myristoleate isolated from Swiss albino mice: an apparent
protective agent against adjuvant arthritis in rats." J. Pharm-Sci,
83(3):296-9, 1994.
Cochran C. and Dent
R., "Cetyl Myristoleate - A unique natural compound valuable in arthritis
conditions." Townsend Letter for doctors, #168:70-74, 1997.
About the
Author - William D. Brink
Will Brink is a
columnist, contributing consultant, and writer for various health/fitness,
medical, and bodybuilding publications. His articles relating to nutrition,
supplements, weight loss, exercise and medicine can be found in such
publications as Lets Live, Muscle Media 2000, MuscleMag International, The
Life Extension Magazine, Muscle n Fitness, Inside Karate, Exercise For Men
Only, Body International, Power, Oxygen, Penthouse, Women’s World and The
Townsend Letter For Doctors. He is the author of Priming The Anabolic
Environment and Weight Loss Nutrients Revealed. He is the Consulting Sports
Nutrition Editor and a monthly columnist for Physical magazine and an Editor
at Large for Power magazine. Will graduated from Harvard University with a
concentration in the natural sciences, and is a consultant to major
supplement, dairy, and pharmaceutical companies.
He has been co
author of several studies relating to sports nutrition and health found in
peer reviewed academic journals, as well as having commentary published in
JAMA. He runs the highly popular web site BrinkZone.com which is strategically
positioned to fulfill the needs and interests of people with diverse
backgrounds and knowledge. The BrinkZone site has a following with many sports
nutrition enthusiasts, athletes, fitness professionals, scientists, medical
doctors, nutritionists, and interested lay people. William has been invited to
lecture on the benefits of weight training and nutrition at conventions and
symposiums around the U.S. and Canada, and has appeared on numerous radio and
television programs.
William has worked
with athletes ranging from professional bodybuilders, golfers, fitness
contestants, to police and military personnel.
See Will's ebooks
online here:
A complete guide
bodybuilding supplements and eating to gain lean muscle
A review of diet
supplements and guide to eating for maximum fat loss
He can be contacted
at: PO Box 812430
Wellesley MA.
02482.
BrinkZone.com
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