Is cycling turning me into a drugie?

[meic]

Glucosamine Sulphate for the knees.
Echinacea and Vit C to keep colds away.
Isotonic drinks against cramps. but with additives I am not sure about.

What next and where will it end?

[Si]

I'm afraid it gets worse - you've not got to the malt loaf and jellybaby addiction yet.

But hey, if you were, say, a jogger you might find that the knees were even worse. And if you did nothing at all you might find a whole raft of new treatments were required as you reach your more senior years.

This year I've given up on the Isotonic drinks 'cos of the hassle, expense and tooth rot. I do notice that I don't go as well in the hot weather - but it's a good excuse to stop at apub for a pint of orange juice and lemo.

I've also given up on Echinacea as I wasn't sure it was doing anything anyway (initial success but tht might have been coincidence)

[meic]

Dont see how you can be a Jelly bean addict and complain isodrinks cause tooth rot.

I think the likes of Echinacea (If they do work at all) are to boost your imunity and you can not "boost" all the time. Surely the body will learn to ignore the boost if it is continuous. It learns for every other stimulant we know of.
Vitamin C could however be a way of avoiding a deficiency like Glucosamine is.

I am not willing to ignore the anectodal or personal experience of these particular supplements despite what scientific research may suggest.

[Si]

My experience of Echinacea , for what it's worth, was thus: I had Post Viral Fatigue for a number of months that didn't seem to be getting betting. Someone suggested that I try Echinacea so I did. Shortly after starting on it I started to feel much better. I continued using it for some time and didn't even get a cold (which is unusual for me) during that period. But over the last couple of years I've gone back to my normal level of getting colds and have stopped the Echinacea. Make of that what you will - I still can't decide!

[Flinders]

I was told it was only worth taking Echinacea at times when you specifically needed it, which I did once and like with you it seemed to help, though it's hard to be sure.

Took Glucosamine/chondritin/MSM when i had a foot injury, and realised after being on it a couple of months that I no longer got sore knees climbing down mountains on hard tracks. Stopped taking it a while ago, and got the odd knee twinge lately, so started again and the knees are fine again - I'm not sure which of the three (any or all) help, but I'm sticking with it. I know people who give glucosamine to horses/dogs and it certainly seems help them with joint mobility and alleviate pain, so that isn't all in the mind.

I'm on some new HRT which I find is on a proscribed list- so if I wanted to compete in cycling, I'd be regarded as beyond the pale for taking performance drugs- never thought I'd see the day when I fell into that category......... Good job I'm too slow for competition!

[silver ghost]

As a student, I took a job at holland and barrett, about 12 years ago, I was pretty sceptical..at first but the great many little old ladies etc, who were convinced their mobility, renewed or returned with glucosomine, was convincing.
Typically it took about 6 months to see results, and I think in general about 1500mg is the required effective daily dose....I don't know about condritin......so some of these things seem to work!
Check with your gp/surgery first...........always.
If you want energy.try ginseng tea, honey and gurana(hb do a droplet bottle).......together, its the bees knees!!
sg

[silver ghost]

also ARNICA, apply cream to aching wrists, knees etc, and also take the little tiny arnica pills ( 30c).....its an amazing healer, again check with your gp/surgery first
sg

[meic]

My wife would be proud of you, she is always pushing arnica 30C for my worn and weary muscles. I refuse to take it for aches from honest hard work but i do carry it in case of injuries. Unused except when my 2 year old daughter manages to steal them.

[patricktaylor]

... where will it end?

Dependency.

Except where ailments are involved, or feats of physical endurance like cycling over 100 miles, a useful principle is not to let oneself become dependent on special supplements, a favourite marmalade, or a particular hairdresser - irrespective of whether one cycles or not. I got into the habit of taking Glucosamine (for a dodgy knee) but one day I thought "sod it" and stopped taking it. If you believe something makes a difference, perhaps it does, even when there's no other reason why it should. It almost becomes a superstition. I don't cycle long distances - I do about 150 miles per week on average - and the only thing I take particular care of is not to dehydrate. I wouldn't want to let myself believe I need anything more than a few sips of water on a ride of up to 40 miles or so, nor any special foods before and after.

[silver ghost]

I think ailments/injuries is the topic, though bogus/ quack pushers of some alternative remedies no doubt use any methods to gain a stronger hold, and money from their unfortunate "patients"..my observations re glucosomine are purely from the witness of HB customers who would had/ suffered from big mobility problems.

[EdinburghFixed]

If you believe something makes a difference, perhaps it does, even when there's no other reason why it should. It almost becomes a superstition.

Believe it or not, whenever I have a serious brush with the medical establishment I have to eat Smarties. I don't know why, I never have them otherwise at all. But somehow they have become associated with having to go and get something fixed - which is self-reinforcing, I know.

Weird but true...

[AlanD]

I am heavily addicted to Oil of Bergamont, which needs to be frequently administered through the oral consumption of Earl Grey Tea.
But as my bicycle addiction increases, so also does my Fish Oil capsules and Ibuprofen addiction increase.
Alan (feeling the withdrawl symptoms coming on, so I must have a brew quick)
P.S. I'm also addicted to Star Trek.

[Flinders]

Whatever else people did or didn't take, what would really worry me would be if someone I knew got into the habit of getting dehydrated. I know of a cyclist who saved weight on long rides by not taking or drinking water. He did this for a long time, and eventually it damaged his kidneys, which was not good.....

[AlanD]

No chance of that with me Flinders. The bladder is regularly hydrated. Oh, I gotta go!

[reohn2]

Hi all
Glucosamine Sulfate works for me and has done for about 10+years now,like someone else has said I was suffering from very painful knees both at work and when hillwalking(coming down hill).A chemist recomended it at 1500mgs a day and said if it didn't work after six weeks to stop taking it as it would probably be something else causing the pain.
He explained that the G/sulphate replaces the cushioning cartilege between the joints as after about fortyfive the body doesn't replace it naturally.
The same chap recomended vitamin C,upto two grams a day,it seems that some folks need and can take more than others,you need to find your own level (mine's one gram)but be careful to much can give you the trots.I can't remember the last time I had a cold.
One thing he did recomend was the mineral Selenium,in the countries where this mineral is found naturally and eaten by people who live there cancer rates are significantly lower,scientific tests have been carried out which bear this out.It can also be found naturally in Brasil nuts.
just my 2d worth.