Vegan/vegetarian joint supplements

Anyone know of and/or use any good ones?

You can get vegetarian glucosamine from Holland & Barrett. I'm not sure how much benefit it is offering me, because I've made other changes to try and reduce the impact on my knees.

I'm using those ones right now... too early to tell if it's good or not though.
Tom, what did you do to reduce the impact on your knees?

The glucosamine that is both the best quality, best priced and had free delivery is from healthspan.

It is also from plant sources.

My dad has been using it for many years with decent results. If you are a young person with no arthritis etc I doubt you feel any difference though.

If you want to reduce stress on your knees, strengthen your leg muscles(ensuring balance) and perhaps try cushioned shoes. Riding bikes is fine.

If you ever have to squat or jump for any reason, make sure to put weight on heels and not forefoot which puts strain on knee.

Ah, I didn't know you could get veggie glucosamine, cheers. What got me thinking about it is the fact my knees have been battered from skating from the age of 14 to 21 (I'm now 24). After a long days cycling my left knee feels stiff and painful to extend too quickly. The problem has calmed down a bit since it first started due to having built my leg muscles up quite substantially (I'm doing an average of 50hrs cycling a week at the moment) but I thought it would still be a good idea to try and take some extra care of my knee joints.

could work, give it a shot. You can also try fish oil if you can overcome the herbivore thing. Fish oil has lots of positive effects on the body including reduced inflammation in things like joints.

I fucked up my own knee really bad at the beginning of march, a ligament snapped inside. I went to the doctor and ended up waiting months for an MRI when it was blatantly obvious if I had a physical assesment that something was destroyed inside. My leg was swollen for a few days, the knee stayed swollen for a 2-3 weeks. It was very delicate to begin with and I couldnt extend leg.
The knee also makes a loud cracking noise now whenever bent.

I started to ride bike again as soon as possible which helps reduce stiffness, if I stop it locks up and becomes painful. I got the results of the scan a few days ago which shows that some of my cartilage is missing. Cartilage does not grow back! So in addition to a really fragile feeling knee, Im likely to never be able to run or walk over distance ever again.

It sucks but I can still ride which is cool.

Hmm, I've been considering getting my left knee checked out for a while, I probably will now because I also get the loud cracking sound when I bend my knee. If I get told by a suitably qualified person that it would be a very good idea to use fish oil, especially if my future mobility were at risk, then I could get over the non-herbivore aspect.

Vitamin B12 if you're vegan.Get it in Marmite...

Has anyone read 'Bad Science' by Ben Goldacre? It'll make you think more about food supplements, amongst other things, and how effective they really are.

He also writes a weekly column in the Guardian and has a web page here.

Flax seed is good. Most seeds are good in fact!

Vitamin B12 if you're vegan.Get it in Marmite...

Yeah. I think it's probably safest to supplement, especially if you don't eat any fortified foods like supermarket bread or cereal, the godlike Ben Goldacre notwithstanding. I never have, and I thought having a bit of marmite would be fine, but I've recently been diagnosed with severe B12 deficiency and have to go for massive injections every other day, which aren't very pleasant. B12's not something you want to be deficient in.

I've recently been diagnosed with severe B12 deficiency

Maybe you were Mollycoddled as a child?

If cycling gives you sore knees look into adjusting your saddle position. Where you get pain can give you clues to what adjustments are needed. And cereal fortification is mainly to replace what is taken out when making it..

Maybe you were Mollycoddled as a child?

Touché!

If cycling gives you sore knees look into adjusting your saddle position. Where you get pain can give you clues to what adjustments are needed. And cereal fortification is mainly to replace what is taken out when making it..

The thing is it's not just cycling that makes it stiff, if I stand or sit with my leg in the same position for too long then the same thing happens.

Ah, I didn't know you could get veggie glucosamine, cheers. What got me thinking about it is the fact my knees have been battered from skating from the age of 14 to 21 (I'm now 24). After a long days cycling my left knee feels stiff and painful to extend too quickly. The problem has calmed down a bit since it first started due to having built my leg muscles up quite substantially (I'm doing an average of 50hrs cycling a week at the moment) but I thought it would still be a good idea to try and take some extra care of my knee joints.

hey festerban I come from a similair background as yourself. Though no longer vegan I have battered my knees and ankles skating and surfing on and off for the last 15 years. I used to take flax seed oil fairly religiously and I like to think it helped so maybe worth a try, I think hemp oil has simialir properties. I eat a little fish now so no longer take these though really should get back into it. As far as cycling related knee pain - Ive ridden fixed for about three years now and the best thing I can reccommend to significantly easy the stress on the knees is to lightening your gearing. I have no idea what you ride but I dropped from 72 to 67 gear inches and the pain and discomfot eased considerably. may be worth a try.... good luck

Flax seed is good. Most seeds are good in fact!

+10000

grind it up and have it with cereal in the morning (replacing the need for fish oil). plus you can find it in asian supermarkets way cheaper than healthfood shops.

I'm using those ones right now... too early to tell if it's good or not though.
Tom, what did you do to reduce the impact on your knees?

A low gear (although I've always run fairly low gears) - I think I'm on about 70" at the moment.

Making a conscious effort to use my front brake where possible, as well as riding more smoothly (i.e. slowing down earlier so I don't have to stop totally, but can have a rolling start, etc).

Lowering my saddle by a few mm (5?)

Not playing polo against El Guapo. I've still got a bump and a scab after a week and a half...