In a classic case an athlete, following years of trauma and misuse, developed chronic patello-femoral stress syndrome of the knee and constant pain. He followed his doctor's advice of anti-inflammatories, ice and a month's rest, which reduced the swelling and pain temporarily. But the problem didn't go away until he tried glucosamine sulfate. I no longer have the pain and continue to take it three times a day. Relief from the agony of chronic pain is the holy grail that both weekend warriors and professional athletes seek.
Gyms abound with tales of such miracle modalities . . .
Waves of reports about glucosamine sulfate began rolling in from Europe in the early 1980s. Our athlete's experience echoes a European study of 68 athletes who took glucosamine for their damaged knee cartilage. For once, the facts support the myth. GAGs and collagen work together like the chicken wire and cement used for stucco and ferrocement structures, to continuously reconstruct your tendons and ligaments. First you build the form you want with the GAGs, then seal it with the collagen to create a durable and resilient material.