The Effects of Long Distance Running on the Knees

Twenty-six miles is a long way to drive, let alone run! For the long-distance and marathon runner, those twenty-six (or more) miles equate to hundreds of miles of running, thanks to extensive training and preparation. All that preparation means hour after hour of pounding on sensitive joints, particularly the knees. Indeed all runners inevitably must accept that joint pain is part of the deal.

Where does the joint pain originate? For some, it is purely genetic. Millions of people suffer from arthritis in the United States - whether they are professional athletes or stay-at-home mothers. While many forms of arthritis are genetic, some forms - such as osteoarthritis - can be brought on by injury or repeated use of a joint.

Osteoarthritis is a debilitating disease that is degenerative - it continues to get worse over time. About one in every 12 Americans suffer from osteoarthritis and the risk for developing it increases with age and lifestyle. Like all other forms of arthritis, there is no cure.

Osteoarthritis is nothing more than the break down of joint cartilage. Unfortunately, this simple-to-explain disease can involve debilitating pain as the break down of cartilage leads to a narrowing of the space between the bones meeting in a joint. When the cartilage "cushion" wears away, and the space in the joint narrows, bone rubs against bone.

Elite athletes, such as long-distance runners, are particularly susceptible to osteoarthritis due to repeated stress on the weight-bearing joints of the lower body. The constant pounding on the knees and ankles of runners, coupled with the tendency to "push through" pain serves only to exacerbate the problem. Even one injury - one sprained ankle, one fall on the knee - can trigger a lifetime of pain.

What can you do? Research strongly suggests that regular supplementation with high-quality glucosamine and chondroitin is particularly effective in not only decreasing inflammation, but also in building new cartilage and lessening future pain. This is in sharp contrast to traditional prescription treatment with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) which only mask pain by temporarily decreasing joint inflammation but never affecting a positive result in the joint.

Glucosamine and chondroitin are two natural molecules that serve as the building blocks for healthy cartilage. In an arthritic joint, those molecules are not readily available to the body, thus deteriorating cartilage cannot be replaced. In essence, the cartilage is "behind the power curve." Supplementation with glucosamine and chondroitin gives the damaged joint the boost it needs to recover.