Glucosamine for Joint Health

One of the side affects of my running program is that my left knee is pretty sore after a long run. It doesn't bother me when I am running but afterwards, man does it hurt when I bend it.

last week Coach Marie suggested I start taking glucosamine since it is a recommended mineral for joint health. The supplement is not cheap and you need to take it 2 times per day. In the grocery store yesterday I found that Emergen-C has a joint health formula with 500 mg of Glucosamine and 1000 mg of vitamin C.

Since this is consumed in water, I'll also get the benefit of the water which is equally important for lubrication of joints. In fact that was Coach Marie's first question, whether I was hydrating enough.

My current favorite reference book is The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth by Jonny Bowden. Out of curiosity about what he says about water, I looked it and found 4 pages!

Water can improve energy, increase mental and physical performance, remove toxins and waste from your body, keep your skin healthy and glowing, and may even help you lose weight. If you're dehydrated -- and some experts think that most of use are at the very least "underhydrated" -- your  blood is thicker and your body has to work that much harder to cause it to circulate. As a result, your brain becomes less active, it's harder to concentrate, and you feel fatigued.

Water is one of the fluids that lubricates and cushions your joints and muscles, protecting them from shock and damage. If the body is dehydrated (lack of water) it may become more susceptible to aliments. Also, before, during and after exercise, drinking proper amounts of water can help reduce cramping of muscles and early onset of fatigue.

OK, time to fill up my water bottle...

On average, how much water do you drink every day?

Comments

[Erica Ross-Krieger]

I do my best to 8-10 glasses of water each day. But I have to trick myself into it - to tell the truth, I am not a fan of plain water. I do everything I can to perk it up - from squeeze a few drops of fresh lemon into my water bottle, to add a quarter cup of iced plain green tea to the bottle. Sometimes I will fill a pitcher and float a few cucumbers in it and keep it in my office, other times I squeeze a fresh ruby-red grapefruit into a pitcher of water and sip it throughout the day. It gets me to drink water and be creative at the same time:)

[Hali]

Well, lucky for me, water is my favorite drink! I usually have a cup of coffee in the morning and then just water throughout the day. Occasionally, if I'm out, I'll order an iced tea or a glass of wine. Even so, I have to remind myself to drink. I'm sure most days I get my 8-10 glasses in.

[Denise]

I prefer plain water but I know a lot of people dont' really like it. There are a lot of water flavoring mixers but for me, they are too sweet or taste too much like artificial sweetener.