IF YOU HAVE USED (OR ABUSED) YOUR JOINTS FOR LONG ENOUGH AT SOME POINT, MOST ATHLETES WILL HAVE SUFFERED A JOINT INJURY.
Osteoarthritis(OA) is a debilitating and painful result of long-term trauma to joints. The development of OA in both professional and recreational athletes is the most common form of arthritis worldwide.
Millions of people suffer from OA in the knees, ankles, hands, hips, and shoulders.
The risks for developing OA include genetic predisposition, being overweight and wear and tear on the joint over time. OA is more prevalent in women than in men, unless of course you are a retired footballer or skier with very painful knees!
Overuse of NSAID's (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory) drugs may cause serious gastric problems and renal impairment. Steroidal injections offer short term relief and have detrimental side effects in the long term.
So what can athletes do to help support their recovery from acute injuries and ward off the development of inflammatory OA?
A daily intake of cold-processed virgin olive oil, along with a variety of anti-inflammatory fruits and vegetables with oily fish and optimal protein is essential.
But as we know, that is not enough.
Competitive athletes with high training schedules need to manipulate the immune system to limit joint damage and enhance repair.
Supplementation with glucosamine and chondroiten has been the go-to for many years, as has MSM (methylsulphonylmethane). The primary issue with glucosamine is that it is a large molecule and is perhaps poorly absorbed and not as bioavailable as was previously thought.
Other supplements such as collagen hydrosylate, passion fruit peel extract, Curcuma longa extract, Boswellia serrata extract, curcumin for its anti-inflammatory properties, pycnogenol and L-carnitine have all been shown to help to some degree with sA relatively new look at UC-II (undenatured type II collagen) may bring some much-needed relief to sufferers.hort-term pain management.(Xiaoqian Lu et al. PMID:29018060)
BREAKING NEWS!!!
A relatively new look at UC-II (undenatured type II collagen) has shed some positive new light for sufferers.
''IN HUMAN DOUBLE-BLIND CONTROLLED STUDIES USING 40MG OF UC-II, IT HAS BEEN SHOWN TO SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE PAIN, AND IMPROVE MOBILITY AND FLEXIBILITY WHEN COMPARED TO BOTH PLACEBO OR USING GLUCOSAMINE AND CHONDROITEN AS CONTROLS.'' (Lugo JP et al. 2016. Nutr J. 15:14)
Collagen is the most abundant protein in mammals and has many connective tissue types. Type I collagen is found mostly in the skin, tendons and bone .Type II collagen is the main component of cartilage.
Collagens are extracellular matrix molecules, produced by the cells to confer structural integrity. UC-II acts as a building block for the cartilage, and also works with the immune system to reduce inflammation.
TAKEN ORALLY UC-II IS TAKEN UP BY THE GUT ASSOCIATED LYMPHOID TISSUE IN THE MESENTERIC LYMPH NODES AND PAYER'S PATCHES.
Once in the Payer's patches, the molecule activates T-cells, converting them into T-regulatory (Treg) cells that target type II collagen joint tissue via the circulation.
In the joint cartilage, the Treg cells secrete anti-inflammatory cytokines, such as transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta), and IL-10 (Interleukin 10).
In a cell study, the anti-inflammatory action of IL-10 has been shown to protect against damage from TNFa, a proinflammatory cytokine that is elevated in OA sufferers.(Muller RD et al. 2008. Cytokine. 44(3):377-385)
GRANNY'S CHICKEN SOUP FOR YOUR JOINTS.
UC-II is found in chicken cartilage and the simplest and tastiest way to get your immune system to take instructions and facilitate the repair process is to get some real chicken soup into your gut.
1 x Organic whole chicken
7 x Organic carrots
3x large onions
5 x sticks of organic celery
Fresh parsley
3 x Organic chicken stock cubes
Place the chicken, chopped vegetables and stock cubes in a large pot, add boiling water to cover.
Cover with a lid and bring to the boil.
Boil the soup on moderate heat for 1 hour, until the chicken is cooked and soft.
Remove the chicken and when cool enough remove all the bones and cartilage and add them back into the soup. (Keep the chicken for chicken salad or curry)
Continue boiling the soups and bones for another hour.
Allow to cool and then refrigerate.
Once cold, the chicken fat will rise to the surface and is easy to spoon off.
Your chicken bone broth is a fantastic base to add miso, mushrooms, chilli, broccoli and buckwheat noodles to for a yummy Asian soup, or enjoy on its own.