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Doesn’t apply to the lithe, athletic folks on here, obviously but...
Let’s assume I have a friend who’s at that stage of if life where every stand up or sit down motion comes with a slight grunt, who’s knees ache pretty much constantly and for whom every morning begins with the physical grace of Herman Munster.
My friend is wondering whether any supplements might help. Glucosamine, chondroitin, that kind of thing. Anyone have any, er friends, in a similar situation who take any such things, and do they help?
I've taken glucosamine and chondroitin, krill oil, and a daily vit D3 for ages, and they give me no discernible physical benefit other than a sense that somewhere inside this old frame good things are happening to my joints, especially when I get injured. D3 has helped massively with mood, and krill gives me a sharper mind.
What your friend needs is mobility training. The pills won't fix a lack of flexibility, strength, and suppleness, but they do support all those things as part of a daily stretching and core strength routine.
Weakness in getting out of chairs isn't a 'stage of life' thing, it's a being weak/out of shape, thing.
Omega 3 and red wine!
At 55 I feel better than I did in my 20s.
I also run a lot though, and eat my greens...
I take fish oil and lift weights, sometimes at the same time. Good luck!
[i]Good luck![/i]
I'll pass your encouragement on to my friend 😉
Forget Glucosamine, Metformin is where it's at...
https://www.wired.com/story/this-pill-promises-to-extend-life-for-a-nickel-a-pop/
Forget the supplements and find a pilates class. I did and I'm in better shape now than I was in my 20s.
I stopped taking the cod liver oil and glucosamine sulphate that I'd been taking for a couple of years with no notable difference.
I take Glucosamine and cod liver oil to try and improve my creaking limbs. But I've got to the point where I've had to admit defeat and just accept that in temperatures below freezing my left knee, where I smashed my cartilage and shredded my ligaments playing rugby when I was younger, just ceases up. Tonights MNPR is an absolute non-starter given the forecast temperatures.
Getting old is rubbish! 🙁
All natural stuff, grains, hops, yeast and water. Keeps you feeling young and happy.
Viagra
Any good ways of boosting testosterone in order to maintain a decent muscle mass and heighten sexual urges? Asking for a friend (Kriss Akabussi laugh)
Lay off the brave pills and also the stupid pills.
Showing your 9 year old how "safe and fun" the newly built pump track is might reduce your mobility somewhat for a period when you unceremoniously fall on your arse.
I was referred to the excellent RJAH Oswestry orthopaedic hospital for a long standing ankle problem. The surgeon who mended me suggested I take high dose glucosamine and chondroitin for 3 months or so and see if I felt it was helping with joint stiffness.
I have been, and I think it's helping with no negative side effects (other than the cost).
Also, Pilates is a great help. As are blood pressure meds and statins.
Binners says getting old is rubbish. Well, I disagree. It's brilliant. It's the only thing keeping me alive. :o)
My supplements comes in cans now, 440mls or more. usually in packs of 4.
You have to remember that one we hit 30-35 there is a drop in testosterone and with that a drop in strength and "vitality", cycling as a purely supported cardio actually helps this drop.
Probably the best thing we can do is some weight training to help boost this and also to help strengthen muscles and joints and makes bones denser, along with stretching like pilates to help mobility, far better than any magic pill.
In addition we tend to be able to maintain the cycling stamina and churn out the miles, but the "top-end" slips so doing intervals and high intensity turbo work really helps.
Joe Friel's "Fast after 50" is a good book that explains the changes to the body.
Testosterone, HGH and fish oil - not all of them may be a) Safe b) Legal.
Yoga and a great wholefood diet with plenty of omega 3. Dairy and wheat are common culprits so limit or cut.
or
[i]Dairy and wheat are culprits[/i]
of what? My quackometer is twitching...
<em class="bbcode-em">Dairy and wheat are culprits
of what? My quackometer is twitching…
No, it's true - if you follow the Paleolithic Diet, or Paleo Diet we could all live like they did back in the stone age - they never suffered a performance drop in middle age, mostly because they had a life expectancy of about 33. 😉
"Binners says getting old is rubbish. Well, I disagree. It’s brilliant. It’s the only thing keeping me alive. :o)"
Big John is right (and I know he's a couple of years older than me 😉 ) A lot of it is to do with state of mind.
The trouble with being older is that your wellbeing has a lot to do with what you don't do when you're younger. At the weekend I saw a number of young riders shredding the trails in shorts. It's -2 or -3 degrees out there and they're like "I wear shorts all year round 'cos I'm well kool". Well, I have news for them - your knees won't thank you in later years and no degree of pills and tablets will help them.
My advice. Keep active, stretch daily, do some weights (even if it's only press-ups, squats, whatever, using body weight), keep your weight below obese, eat as healthily as you can. And wrap your joints up warm when you go out riding!
Ahh, that old chestnut about wheat and dairy rears its head again. The inconvenient truth is that the diets of the majority of the countries with the highest life expectancy happen to contain a lot of dairy and wheat. there is a lot of BS around this, but the key common component is that you should eat proper food that has not been heavily processed and as natural as possible. If the Chicken you eat is the shape of a Dinosaur, then it is safe to assume it's not the most healthy of things to be eating.
As above, all of your, ahem, 'friends' symptoms can be improved by moving more. Do you cycle to work?
Dairy and wheat are culprits
of what? My quackometer is twitching…
No, it’s true – if you follow the Paleolithic Diet, or Paleo Diet we could all live like they did back in the stone age – they never suffered a performance drop in middle age, mostly because they had a life expectancy of about 33.
Life expectancy if you didn't die from a violent death was actually much higher than has been taught in schools.
Life expectancy dropped when we developed agriculture though the reasons are debatable and varied as agriculture also then led to an ability to live in towns.
Either way both will have effect on some people. Perhaps most people.
As a diagnosed coeliac there are lots of consequences but the one that affects me most from my mid 40's is my immune system attacking my connective tissue if I have wheat. That's not necessarily life expectancy but I often have difficulty getting my socks on.
Equally, I remember watching an interview years ago with a Chinese gymnastic coach... and the interviewer asked why Chinese people were more flexible at her age... she just looked puzzled and said "but you eat dairy" as if the whole world knew what seems to be an established fact in China... but then plenty of people want Rhino horn so who knows...
Either way, I wouldn't dismiss it. It certainly affects some people...
Iyengar yoga!
light exercise and stretching will really help a lot, balance diet will also help. but since we're talking about supplements Glucosamine, Avocado Soybean Unsaponifiables (ASU), Chondroitin, Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM), Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids (PUFAs) and Ginger Extract are use for this type of situation.
You'll be looking for the quick fix snake oil type crap that just milks your wallet of cash and delivers sweet fanny nothin.
Then there is the stuff that delivers the goods, but you have to make a little effort.
Start with a well balanced diet and stop eating like your a child, which means stop eating sweeties and other crap, you are no longer 6 years old.
Science says the best thing you can do to ward off decrepitness is to strength train and improve mobility.
As for supplements a quarter of an aspirin a day would probably be the daddy.
If your not convinced checkout @fiftyplusfit on Insta for the evidence.
I was referred to the excellent RJAH Oswestry orthopaedic hospital for a long standing ankle problem.
Did they advise that you tried standing for less long?
Here all week, try the Omega 3.
Wellman multi-vids are good, and age specific. The only downsides are price and that you're meant to take them on a full stomach (easy to forget). They taste awful too.
just signing up for a friend.
in responce to the OP i would suggest some fitness stuff but every time i try i get very ill. Id like a magic pill please.
You can’t change the simple fact that inactivity for anyone is bad.
Popping pills may be a small help and offer placebo but get active has way more benefit.
If you don't eat oily fish anyway then get on the cod liver oil.
There's not much definitive evidence for any other supplements though, IIRC.
There’s a whole industry built around supplements.. so they must be doing someone some good 🤦♀️
Choose your parents wisely 🙂
If the "cure" for decrepitude involves you paying for it then more than likely it isn't a cure.
Don't smoke, drink in moderation, eat healthily, exercise. After that, see the comment about your parents.
"As for supplements a quarter of an aspirin a day would probably be the daddy."
Two sides to every coin. Diverticular disease commonly starts in your 50s and is common to some degree amongst older people. Doesn't affect your joints of course, only your movements. One of the causes, regular aspirin usage!
Of course, nettles can be very good for you being rich in iron, potassium, manganese, calcium, iodine, beta-carotene, vitamin C, and the B-complex vitamins. Perhaps your 'friend' doesn't hate nettles?!?
My advice. Keep active, stretch daily, do some weights (even if it’s only press-ups, squats, whatever, using body weight), keep your weight below obese, eat as healthily as you can. And wrap your joints up warm when you go out riding!
This ^^^ times many.
FWIW I also eat oily fish 5 times a week and in the last year take a Vit D supplement, which I increasingly think helps with mood and energy levels in the darker months. Anecdotal obviously.
But the main thing is activity - Use it or lose it - never a truer word said. My dog is 108 in dog years, it gets beasted every day of the year, rain or shine barring illness and will climb munro's back to back til the cows come home, and way past the point i'm a gibbering legless mess. All his doggy mates died years ago, they just never got out enough.
+1 for pilates.
i did an hours swimming on Saturday, and climbed a big hill on Sunday. Expected to feel sore after both forms of unaccustomed exercise.....but didn't. Been doing Pilates for 6 weeks and feel loads younger physically
Best supplement of all is a singlespeed bike.
Works most parts of your body including your core.
And the only supplement you then need is beer...
*waves at Psling*
Hi Peter!
Right, well, as of last night and this morning my friend is stretching his quads, calves and hams (he can get his palms flat in the floor, just) and doing some body weight squats. He’s also taking a D3 pill too.
He’s not that keen on nettles though 😉
*waves back* Hi John!
IHN, remind them not to forget to stretch their glutes whilst they're about it.
Everyone over sixty takes these daily
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