Supplements for Musculoskeletal Health?

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SnowAlien
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Re: Supplements for Musculoskeletal Health?

Post by SnowAlien »

Glucosamine makes the eyesight worse, at least what I noticed
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justiner
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Re: Supplements for Musculoskeletal Health?

Post by justiner »

I supplement with ankle, hip, and back mobility work. Motion is Lotion!
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Re: Supplements for Musculoskeletal Health?

Post by TomPierce »

If you think you're deficient in somethng, do it right and get a series of blood-based tests to check it out. You can use a commerical service (e.g. www.insidetracker.com, etc.) and they'll put your results in a series of fancy color-coded charts to show you exactly where you are on like 60 (?) different biomarkers. You can also track your results over time, each subsequent test is also added to your personal chart. But tthat's very pricey, about $400 for a full panel, although more targeted, less comprehensive test packages exist. My doc also said he could duplicate such results far, far cheaper. Same accuracy, just not the fancy commercial overlay.

Personally, if you're just looking at joint health, I'm with Justin. Eat a healthy diet for sure, but work on strength/flexibility, and resolve any structural issues with therapy (maybe some good orthotics?) I've never believed that supplements can target maladies all that effectively, e.g. "I have poor night vision, so I'll eat a lot of carrots."

Just my opinions, good luck.

-Tom
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Re: Supplements for Musculoskeletal Health?

Post by oldschool »

The placebo effect is powerful. As with lots of things, if we think it works or helps, it does! Correlation is not causation.

An interesting example happened to me this winter in AZ. Was out to dinner with my parents. My Mom absolutely hates vegetables....all kinds. At the restaurant we were at she ordered her meal of chicken and "potatoes". She did not read the menu clearly. She got her meal and raved about the "potatoes". She loved them...until I told her they were actually cauliflower! In an instant she was grossed out, outraged, and her opinion changed rather quickly. It was rather hilarious and telling of the power of our own minds and the power we give it.

I'm not saying supplements do or don't work, regardless of clinical studies or lack thereof. Again, if you think you feel better when you do this or this or that or take this or that, then keep taking it. I take ibuprofen...nothing more, ever. I eat well, get out and do stuff, my recent blood tests were where they need to be, and life goes on. I agree 100% with Justiner!
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Re: Supplements for Musculoskeletal Health?

Post by habaceeba »

justiner wrote: Wed Mar 24, 2021 12:16 am I supplement with ankle, hip, and back mobility work. Motion is Lotion!
I like this advice. I make sure not to skip leg day and squats and deadlifts have helped a lot. I notice my knees start hurting when I *don't* exercise them. And, squats don't have to be super heavy powerlifting moves either. You would notice a difference with just body weight or 'goblet squats' with dumbbells.
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Re: Supplements for Musculoskeletal Health?

Post by ker0uac »

I agree with all of you who mentioned healthy diet and exercise. It's a non-starter without them. But injuries, specially in this year of on-and-off weight training, can cause lasting, gradual damage. Give my dad who was very active and is now 70yo has replaced both knees and had surgery on one shoulder, I am pretty sure that will be in my future too. I already train and climb, go to PT some times and I don't lack any of the food groups in my diet, so trying to figure out if there's anything else I can do. I don't take any supplements beyond centrum, so I am wondering about them.
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Re: Supplements for Musculoskeletal Health?

Post by ker0uac »

habaceeba wrote: Wed Mar 24, 2021 8:54 am
I notice my knees start hurting when I *don't* exercise them.
Same here. I think last year's inertia plus running on hard ground finally caught up with my knees, but now I am getting back into my usual routines.
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Re: Supplements for Musculoskeletal Health?

Post by ker0uac »

TomPierce wrote: Wed Mar 24, 2021 7:41 am Personally, if you're just looking at joint health, I'm with Justin. Eat a healthy diet for sure, but work on strength/flexibility, and resolve any structural issues with therapy (maybe some good orthotics?) I've never believed that supplements can target maladies all that effectively, e.g. "I have poor night vision, so I'll eat a lot of carrots."
Right, every time I hear of a supplement, I look to see which foods are rich with it. For instance, omega-3 and iron. But glucosamine which seems to be the "most popular" for joint health can only be extracted from shell fish :-k .

Also, as brought up by Bean, unfortunately nowadays, even the "healthy" foods are poor of nutrients. I know I know, "buy organic and fresh". I do that too.
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Re: Supplements for Musculoskeletal Health?

Post by disentangled »

I always find the anti-supplement sentiment interesting. People seem to have a visceral reaction to the idea that supplements might help, although they are happy and willing to habitually and unquestioningly take Vitamin I or acetaminophen. As Bean pointed out, most foods that are considered healthy lack nutrients because soils are depleted and chemical agriculture offsets or destroys their availability. If you only take a few supplements, and only spend the same amount of money on them as you would for, say, a coffee or beer, and even if they are only creating a placebo effect....what's the harm? And if you think they aren't working or are actually causing harm, you stop taking them. With no ill effects.
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Re: Supplements for Musculoskeletal Health?

Post by justiner »

I agree, usually taking a supplement isn't very harmful (except for your wallet!), and may prove beneficial. But you are better off getting nutrients from food instead. I think there's a lot to simply removing things that can be harmful for you as a way to improve health. Do I really think all that soda I drink is a good thing? Of course I don't. Do I still do it? Well yes. WILL I still do it after all these cavities I just got filled? Remains to be seen!

I don't know if plants are less nutritious then the were before b/c of farming practices now. That sounds plausible - but also I would think easy to test. My understanding was that the buildup of fertilizers in your body from farming practices was what was no bueno - although again: is that theory at this point, or fact? It's hard to separate these sometimes. Both issues could be true!

I do also agree that one should be really careful taking any NSAIDS, as their dangers are well known, even though it's pretty common and accepted to take them.

Anyways: work on mobility, eat well, stay away from drugs mmm'kay?, and supplement any holes. I do supplement myself. Mostly cod fish oil, sardines, and prebiotics.I got blood work done and Vitamin D was low. I took fairly high IU Vit. D pills afterwards, but I'm considering that just taking it from food may be better. Cod fish oil seems to be a winner for everything except my super belches.
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disentangled
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Re: Supplements for Musculoskeletal Health?

Post by disentangled »

justiner wrote: Wed Mar 24, 2021 10:18 am I don't know if plants are less nutritious then the were before b/c of farming practices now. That sounds plausible - but also I would think easy to test.


This has been extensively researched and documented. I don't have particular sources but Michael Pollan discusses it in his work.


I should add.... I don't see it as an either/or question. Eat good food first. Supplement second. I only take specific supplements to target certain deficiencies. All the other garbage out there is a scam.
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Re: Supplements for Musculoskeletal Health?

Post by TomPierce »

ker0uac wrote: Wed Mar 24, 2021 9:48 am
TomPierce wrote: Wed Mar 24, 2021 7:41 am Personally, if you're just looking at joint health, I'm with Justin. Eat a healthy diet for sure, but work on strength/flexibility, and resolve any structural issues with therapy (maybe some good orthotics?) I've never believed that supplements can target maladies all that effectively, e.g. "I have poor night vision, so I'll eat a lot of carrots."
Right, every time I hear of a supplement, I look to see which foods are rich with it. For instance, omega-3 and iron. But glucosamine which seems to be the "most popular" for joint health can only be extracted from shell fish :-k .

Also, as brought up by Bean, unfortunately nowadays, even the "healthy" foods are poor of nutrients. I know I know, "buy organic and fresh". I do that too.
All good points above. Fwiw, I'm not anti-supplements, I take some (fish oil, a really good multi). But those are based on specific personal deficiencies revealed by blood work; it took me some time to find a multi with a specific formulation for my needs. What I doubt works very well is the targeted supplementation for a single, specific problem; that's the stuff of magazine articles often funded by the companies that sell the supplements (e.g. "Have hair loss? Take X!") But yeah, the placebo effect is super powerful and unless you go crazy they shouldn't harm you.

I'd also caution that you probably should look at the issue wholistically. Take Vitamin D? My recollection is that it needs to be coupled with Vit A to be metabolized well, so too with iron and Vit C (but really watch iron, it can cause havoc in men). And if you want to lower triglycerides, eat some eggs; but not too much, it'll spike your bad cholesterol if your blood glucose runs high (I speak from experience on that one). My point is that taking a single supplement may not be effective if you don't look at the broader picture, the effect it could cause elsewhere. There is no free lunch, right? Just my opinions and experience.

-Tom
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