The tendons in your body connect muscles to bones and form a powerful link that remains inseparable except during injury. The force of muscle action transmits directly into the tendons and they can become weakened. Despite the important role of tendons, blood supply is limited, so if injury occurs they take a long time to heal. Knowing how to keep your tendons strong can minimize the chances of injury during exercise or any other physical activity.
Glucosamine
One substance found in abundance in your cartilage and tendons is glucosamine, which helps keep tendons strong. Glucosamine is made by the body in very small amounts, and the body's ability to do this may decrease with age. This is partly why older people's joints may become weaker as they age. Glucosamine is not found in any common foods and for this reason supplementation with glucosamine has become popular in recent years.
Clinical Trials
An experimental trial published in the February 1999 edition of the "Lancet" demonstrated that glucosamine has the ability to prevent breakdown of your tendons and cartilage as well as rebuild them. This may be because glucosamine supplementation provides the raw building blocks for the synthesis of new cartilage and tendons. A more recent study published in the August edition of the "Lancet" studied the long-term effects of glucosamine on joint health. The study highlighted the ability of glucosamine to prevent negative changes in cartilage or tendon structure. While most studies show a strengthening effect of glucosamine on tendons, no studies found any side effects associated with supplementation.
Dosage
Glucosamine is made naturally within your body and so there appears to be zero adverse effects from supplementation. Most of the studies conducted have found the optimal dose to be 1.5 g per day. One thing to keep in mind, however, is that glucosamine does not seem to work instantly. This supplement seems to take several weeks to have any effect, and you may need to take this supplement continuously to maintain any benefits. Additionally, glucosamine manufacture is not regulated, so you need to take care when selecting a product.
Speak to Your Doctor
If you are diabetic, elderly or overweight, you may want to discuss glucosamine supplementation with your physician prior to selecting a product. A review published in the June 2002 issue of "Nutrition" highlighted the fact that glucosamine may have adverse effects on glucose metabolism in those with diabetes. In the event you are not able to use glucosamine, you can do weight-bearing exercise to strengthen tendons.
References
- "Lancet"; Hype About Glucosamine; M. Adams; February 1999
- "Lancet"; Long-Term Effects of Glucosamine Sulphate on Osteoarthritis Progression: a Randomised, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial. J. Reginster, et al; August 2001
- "Nutrition"; Glucosamine: Con or Cure?; L. Sutton, et al; June 2002
