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You Can’t Compete At Your Best Without Healthy Joints

By USA Hockey , 08/10/18, 12:00PM PDT

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Both glucosamine and chondroitin sulfates support joint function and mobility by enhancing the body's production of glycosaminoglycan (GAGs), which are required to form various important components of joint cartilage.

Whether elite or weekend warrior, it pays to invest in joint health

To learn more about Thorne Nutritional products and our partnership please click here

Thorne has a bundle of products that provide all-around joint support. And they’re all NSF Certified for Sport®.

Nearly every competitive sport and most types of exercise place big demands on one or more of your body’s joints. Knees, hips, elbows, and shoulders are especially challenged. Whether you’re an athlete competing at the highest level or you just want to keep on participating when wear and tear force others to stop, it pays to invest in joint health.

Start with the foundation

No doubt you have heard of glucosamine sulfate and chondroitin sulfate – Glucosamine & Chondroitin – widely considered to be the staples of healthy joint supplementation. There’s good reason for that reputation. Clinical research has indicated that these two nutrients provide significant benefit for musculoskeletal support.

Both glucosamine and chondroitin sulfates support joint function and mobility by enhancing the body's production of glycosaminoglycan (GAGs), which are required to form various important components of joint cartilage. Evidence suggests supplementation with chondroitin sulfate supports joint structures.

And the combination of glucosamine sulfate and chondroitin sulfate has been shown in some studies to protect and support joint surfaces more effectively than glucosamine sulfate alone.

Fish oil – a joint lubricant par excellence 

A quality fish oil supplement is also key. While glucosamine sulfate and chondroitin sulfate provide the nutrient building blocks for healthy joints, omega-3 fish oils help protect the joints – in technical terms, they are chondro-protective.

Thorne’s Super EPA (a fish oil supplement containing higher-than-average levels of EPA/DHA) supports the normal inflammatory response in joints and muscles, which helps protect them from damage, while supporting flexibility.

Omega-3 fish oils can also help maintain a healthy heart, brain, and neurological function.

Curcumin. Like turmeric. Only better.

First, a quick reminder of the difference between turmeric and curcumin. Turmeric is a spice commonly used in Indian and southeast Asian cuisine. Curcumin (actually a combination of several ingredients called curcuminoids) is an ingredient in turmeric, specifically the ingredient that gives turmeric its distinctive yellowish color.

Curcumin is the constituent in turmeric that offers a health benefit for joints and muscles. Therefore, taking a more concentrated curcumin is a more efficient way to get its benefits.

Like fish oil, curcumin has been shown to support a normal inflammatory response in the body. In addition, it offers relief from discomfort associated with overuse of joints and muscles and supports healing from injuries. 

The challenge with curcumin, either alone or in turmeric, is that it is not easily absorbed by the body. With that in mind, Thorne uses a proprietary form of curcumin – Meriva® – developed by Indena S.p.A., whose curcumin phytosome formulation provides significantly better absorption than other curcumin extracts.

In fact, a human study demonstrated 29-times greater absorption from Meriva than from ordinary curcumin. It’s also the most clinically studied curcumin on the market. Meriva 500-SF contains 500 mg of curcumin phytosome complex per capsule.

NSF Certified for Sport® means it’s the real thing

Professional and elite-level amateur athletes trust these three joint health products because they’re all NSF Certified for Sport®. That means they have been tested by an independent third party – NSF International – for substances banned by sports-governing bodies and for other harmful ingredients.

You can be sure that products bearing the NSF Certified for Sport® seal contain exactly what the label claims, in the amounts listed, and nothing else. That’s reassuring even if you’re not an elite athlete.

ABOUT USA HOCKEY

USA Hockey provides the foundation for the sport of ice hockey in America; helps young people become leaders, even Olympic heroes; and connects the game at every level while promoting a lifelong love of the sport.

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