Many of the aging runners of Dark Peak may have been tempted to take glucosamine or chondroitin but is it effective? A recent paper in the BMJ combined the results of many small studies comparing pain after placebo or supplement to provide a more definitive answer. They found that it was no better than placebo.
But does this mean it didn’t work? Well no, placebos do work very well. Cyclists who were told they had been given caffeine- but weren’t -were able to exercise almost as intensely as those who had been given caffeine according to a study presented at the British Association of Sports Science. Will glucosamine and chondrotin still work if we no longer believe in them- possibly not!