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crankingclimber
Apr 19, 2007, 2:19 AM
Post #1 of 4
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Registered: Jul 27, 2002
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Hey all
So, several years ago I had a pretty hard outdoor bouldering session. Then, that night I got bored, so I went and had a wicked indoor session. The next morning my knuckles were so sore and swollen that I couldn't even grasp a doorknob with enough force to turn it. I had had sore knuckles before, but never that bad, probably because I'd never worked power crimps as hard and as long as I did that day. I thought I had reached my climbing peak.
But, then I discovered glucosamine - most people said it took that stuff a while to kick in, but I started noticing effects pretty quickly, and in one month I took a month long trip to the valley, fingerlocked my life away, and my knuckles hardly got sore at all. Since then, I've taken glucosamine 3 months on, one month off, as I've been recommended by a couple of sources to do.
Well, in the ensuing years, I've been increasing in weight - I'm not overweight by any means - actually I'm pretty beanpolish - a little over 6 foot 3, and 195 pounds. And, I've been pushing through the grades. I'm now at the point that hanging my 195 pounds off of the size holds which routes at my limit usually have, is starting to cause the knuckles to hurt again. Ugh.
So, I was wondering if anyone else has gone through the sore knuckle ordeal out there, and also, was wondering how people have shaved off a few pounds, even when not overweight, as I think this would help a lot - I know from having trained with weights on before, that a few pounds can make all the difference to how my knuckles feel. So, any advice?
Thanks,
Will
PS And whatever happened to jt512s post on how to lose weight and improve climbing? I would like to read that.
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jt512
Apr 19, 2007, 4:05 AM
Post #2 of 4
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Registered: Apr 12, 2001
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crankingclimber wrote: Hey all So, several years ago I had a pretty hard outdoor bouldering session. Then, that night I got bored, so I went and had a wicked indoor session. The next morning my knuckles were so sore and swollen that I couldn't even grasp a doorknob with enough force to turn it. I had had sore knuckles before, but never that bad, probably because I'd never worked power crimps as hard and as long as I did that day. I thought I had reached my climbing peak. But, then I discovered glucosamine - most people said it took that stuff a while to kick in, but I started noticing effects pretty quickly, and in one month I took a month long trip to the valley, fingerlocked my life away, and my knuckles hardly got sore at all. Since then, I've taken glucosamine 3 months on, one month off, as I've been recommended by a couple of sources to do. Well, in the ensuing years, I've been increasing in weight - I'm not overweight by any means - actually I'm pretty beanpolish - a little over 6 foot 3, and 195 pounds. And, I've been pushing through the grades. I'm now at the point that hanging my 195 pounds off of the size holds which routes at my limit usually have, is starting to cause the knuckles to hurt again. Ugh. So, I was wondering if anyone else has gone through the sore knuckle ordeal out there, and also, was wondering how people have shaved off a few pounds, even when not overweight, as I think this would help a lot - I know from having trained with weights on before, that a few pounds can make all the difference to how my knuckles feel. So, any advice? Thanks, Will PS And whatever happened to jt512s post on how to lose weight and improve climbing? I would like to read that.
1. I think you should see a doctor about the sore knuckles.
2. I don't think you have enough evidence to conclude that the glucosamine helped you. In fact, if it started to help immediately, I would consider that to be evidence that the improvement may have been due to something else...like taking time off?
3. Notwithstanding #2, If you are going to take glucosamine, I think you should take it continuously. I can think of no reason to cycle it. With regard to cycling, are you sure you're not confusing glucosamine and creatine?
4. I think I'll repost my "How to Lose Weight to Improve Your Climbing" post. I had taken it down in anger, in reaction to a barrage of harassment from morons.
Jay
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crankingclimber
Apr 19, 2007, 4:26 AM
Post #3 of 4
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Registered: Jul 27, 2002
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Thanks for the input Jay.
In regards to number 1, I think that's a good idea. Particularly so since I'm only going to have health insurance for a little over a month longer.
In regards to number 2, I'm pretty darn sure that it is the glucosamine, because all this started happening several years ago (maybe 5ish). Since then, there have been a several times when I would stop taking it for several months at a shot, and the pain would return. Then, I would wise up, realize the couple of bucks I was saving on not buying the pills wasn't worth my health/pain/climbing, go buy some, and hey presto, in another month, the pain would be gone. Placebo effect? Maybe, but it sure is a strong one, and if that's what it takes, I'll keep doing it. I doubt it's placebo effect though, since I'm taking it right now, and they're hurting.
As for number 3, I've heard that your body, in laymans terms, builds up an 'immunity' to absorbing certain nutrients. Once your body thinks it has enough of something, absorption drops considerably. By taking a month off, the stuff is still in your system, as it generally takes your body a while to work stuff like that out, but once the nutrient disappears for a while, and then reappears, your body absorbs again. I talked this over with my Dad, who's a biochemist, and also my mother, who's a dietician, and both know about the theory, and said it's more complicated than the way I summed it up above, but the net effect with certain nutrients is that taking time off occasionally can help.
But, I could be completely wrong on this one - my Dad researches the way copper molecules move around within a cell - so while he knows tons about the chemistry of living organisms, it's not his exact area of expertise. Nor is it my mother's, who hasn't practiced for several years. Has anyone (jay) heard of this???
And as for 4, that would be cool.
Will
edited to clarify
(This post was edited by crankingclimber on Apr 19, 2007, 4:30 AM)
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jt512
Apr 19, 2007, 4:56 AM
Post #4 of 4
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Registered: Apr 12, 2001
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crankingclimber wrote: In regards to number 2, I'm pretty darn sure that it is the glucosamine, because all this started happening several years ago (maybe 5ish). Since then, there have been a several times when I would stop taking it for several months at a shot, and the pain would return. Then, I would wise up, realize the couple of bucks I was saving on not buying the pills wasn't worth my health/pain/climbing, go buy some, and hey presto, in another month, the pain would be gone.
If you've gone off and on glucosamine, and found that the symptoms correlate (with a lag time) with whether you're on the supplement or not, then that strengthens the argument for causality. This is interesting to me, because, to the best of my knowledge, there is nothing in the literature about benefit from glucosamine in any joint, other than the knee.
In reply to: As for number 3, I've heard that your body, in laymans terms, builds up an 'immunity' to absorbing certain nutrients. Once your body thinks it has enough of something, absorption drops considerably.
What you're referring to is referred to as "regulation." Yes, uptake of many nutrients is regulated along the lines of what you describe; however, I've never heard of any specific regulatory mechanism for glucosamine. Furthermore, even if uptake were regulated, that would not be a compelling reason to cycle intake. Absorption should not drop off so much that cellular concentrations of glucosamine would actually decline; rather, concentrations would remain at their saturation levels. Moreover, there are essentially no reports in the lit. of side effects of long-term glucosamine supplementation. If you are convinced that glucosamine is helping you, you should probably take it continuously.
In reply to: ...my Dad researches the way copper molecules move around within a cell
One of my old biochem professors was a copper researcher. Ask your dad if he knows Maria Linder.
Jay
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