Supplements to prevent and heal injuries?

In the sports supplementation market, products to prevent and heal injuries are gaining strength every year. Many of them are supported by scientific studies, others are minerals, vitamins, specific nutrients of the cartilage, etc. Experts contradict themselves, some say that they must be taken before pain or inflammation appears and others say it is a placebo. Here each person decides.

The most popular supplements among athletes to prevent and heal injuries are:

• MSM. It is short for Methyl Sulphonyl Methane. and is taken as a source of organic sulfur. It is present in some foods (garlic, onion, pipes, soybeans, lentils, eggs, etc.) but it is destroyed by cooking or by the effect of fertilizers and pesticides. Breast milk is one of the best sources of MSM, so you can see that it is important for growth. It is used as an anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antioxidant, protein anabolic and collagen regenerator. Athletes take it in the early phases of resistance training, to improve recovery from very intense efforts.

• Chondroitin sulfate and glucosamine . These two supplements are complementary and it is recommended to take them at the same time. It seems that they have a protective and regenerative effect on injuries and that they reduce joint pain and discomfort. Chondroitin sulfate is a mucopolysaccharide that forms cartilage, tendons, and bones. It has been seen to stimulate the production of cartilage components (proteoglycans, collagen, and glycosaminglycans). Helps cartilage retain more water, improving cushioning, and inhibits enzymes that destroy cartilage tissue. Glucosamine, produced naturally by the body, works by repairing cartilage, stimulates normal function, and has an anti-inflammatory effect. These supplements are recommended to be taken as preventive, for a month or two, before strenuous effort (marathon training, ultra-distance races, etc.). They are also taken to treat injuries and shorten recovery.

• Collagen . It can be found as a supplement combined with vitamin C and hyaluronic acid generally. It is taken to nourish and restore synovial fluid in the joints and delay the degradation of articular cartilage due to physical wear and tear and age.

• Shark cartilage. The Australian gray shark cartilage has a special composition, which was already known to traditional Chinese doctors. It contains very specific substances such as type II collagen (66% from the spine), amino acids from collagen, chondroitin sulfate A and C, dermatan sulfate, hyaluronic acid, and minerals that collagen uses to regenerate itself. It is used as an analgesic, anti-inflammatory and regenerative. Be careful with shark cartilage imitations, check that it has the Australian quality seal (the strictest) and that it is 100% unmixed cartilage. It is expensive, you must assess whether it is worth it.

• Sulfur. This mineral appears in muscles, skin, bones, nails and hair. It is responsible for the flexibility and permeability of the membranes and is part of the proteoglycans of the matrix that surrounds the cartilage. The more wear and tear on a joint (like the knee when running), the more sulfur is needed to repair the damage. There are specific supplements rich in sulfur such as MSM, SAMe, sulfur amino acids (methionine), etc.

• Copper. Another mineral that provides elasticity for tissues. It is a cofactor of the enzyme lysyl oxidase, responsible for strengthening collagen and elastin. It works by uniting the collagen fibers, creating crosslinks between lysines, thus increasing the resistance of the tissue. In addition to supplements, you can find copper in liver, oysters, brewer’s yeast, nuts, lentils, mushrooms, onions, and sunflower seeds.

• Silicon. Mineral that is part of the structure of bone and connective tissue, necessary to form collagen, elastin, proteoglycans and glycoproteins that make up its structure. Helps the recovery of joint injuries and bone fractures. There are remineralizing plant supplements rich in silica (a source of silicon) such as bamboo (Bambousa arundinacea) or horsetail (Equisetum arvense). They can be taken in infusion or in herbal tablets to ensure an adequate and natural supply of silica.

• Other minerals: magnesium, manganese, selenium, cobalt and fluorine . Some are involved in the transmission of the nerve impulse (potassium, magnesium), others in the synthesis of glycoproteins and glycosaminoglycans of the cell matrix (manganese, cobalt and fluorine) or they are also antioxidants (selenium) against the damage of the free radicals produced from intense exercise.

• Vitamin C . It is necessary for the synthesis of collagen and has anti-inflammatory properties for muscles and joints. A lack of vitamin C causes scurvy, a disease characterized by bleeding gums, that is, by damage to the tissue that surrounds the tooth, which is very rich in connective tissue. Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that acts as a reducer in the hydroxylation of proline and lysine from protocollagen to form collagen. To stimulate and maintain the synthesis of collagen (connective tissue, cartilage, osteoid bone tissue, dentin of the teeth, skin and tendons) you can take supplements of 500 to 1,000 mg of vitamin C, but do not forget to include food in your daily diet rich in vitamin C, such as kiwi, strawberries, raspberries, papaya, citrus, and vegetables such as watercress, parsley and peppers
• An article of sport life