Athletic Recovery / Sports Injuries
MSM – Optimal Support for Athletic Performance and Recovery from Sports Injuries
By Jeremy Appleton
MSM is a naturally occurring nutrient that provides the body with essential sulfur and methyl groups that are used in healing and repair processes. MSM is prized by professional and amateur athletes for effective nutritional support of athletic performance and recovery from soft tissue and joint injuries.
MSM can safely be taken over the long term with no serious toxicity. As a result, athletes can achieve improved performance, pain relief, and enhanced tissue repair without fear of side effects. Sulfur: The Key to Healthy Connective Tissue Sports activities can build strength, endurance, and cardiovascular fitness. But they also increase the risk of minor injuries, and can cause wear-and-tear on joints, tendons, ligaments and other connective tissues. Athletes strive to improve their performance, but they also need to protect their bodies against injuries small and large. MSM can help.
MSM stands for methylsulfonylmethane. It ill a naturally-occurring form or organic sulfur that is manufactured for sale as a dietary supplement. MSM provides powerful nutritional support for healthy musculoskeletal and respiratory function. It also provides superior support for connective (issues: hair, skin, nails, joints, etc. Connective tissue has unusually high requirements for sulfur and MSM – which is 34% sulfur by weight – can effectively meet these needs. Methyl Groups: Stoking the Fires of Metabolism Many metabolic processes in the body from the generation of energy to the synthesis of hormones-depend upon methyl groups. Containing one carbon and three hydrogen atoms (CH3), methyl groups are shuttled between various bio-molecules as a kind of regulatory currency. Nutrients that donate methyl groups (e.g., folic acid, vitamin 812, trimethylglycine, S-adenosylmethionine, MSM) can have wide ranging effects on health and longevity.
Recent research suggests that MSM may be an effective methyl donor. The donation of methyl groups by MSM may partially explain why athletes taking MSM report increased stamina and alertness during their sports activities. Methyl donation supports joint health. MSM for Sport Injuries Every year, thousands of athletes suffer debilitating injuries. They often end up taking painkillers such as aspirin or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). These drugs alleviate pain and inflammation, but taken over the long term, some may interfere with healing of connective tissue. Most sports injuries involve pain, redness, heat, and swelling: the four cardinal signs of inflammation.
MSM supplementation can assist the healing process without the side effects typically associated with NSAIDs. The underlying mechanisms of MSM’s anti-inflammatory activity have been explored in two recent animal experimental studies. MSM was found to reduce inflammatory immune. responses and swelling in animals with induced arthritis, and even halted inflammation at the level of generic initiation.
Treating an acute injury may be as simple as RICE. This acronym refers to rest, ice, compression, and elevation. Supplementation with MSM may speed relief from inflammation and promote lasting healing. After soft-tissue injuries, including the micro-tears in muscle that occur after normal strength training, connective tissue repairs itself. Sulfur is one of the key requirements for connective tissue integrity and repair. MSM provides a rich source of bioavailable sulfur to support connective tissue repair and regeneration.
MSM of Superior Quality A 2006 Consumer Report Supplement Guide cautions against dollar-store brands: “Our experience suggests mainstream brands may be more reliable”. The MSM used in all the research discussed in this article is manufactured by Bergstrom Nutrition, the most experienced MSM manufacturer in the world and the MSM chosen by nearly every The statements made in this Informational document have not been evaluated by the food and Drug Administration.
This ingredient is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
MSM may be the ideal sports nutrient. It provides a powerful combination of effects that athletes seek: • Support for optimal energy levels • Relief from pain and inflammation caused by overexertion and injuries • Building block for regeneration of damaged connective tissue. leading health brand.
OptiMSM, the only GRAS designated MSM on the market today is manufactured to more stringent product specifications than other raw MSM material. Purified by distillation, produced under good manufacturing practices (GMPS) from our ISO 9001:2008 registered production facility and rigorous third party-tested to ensure superior quality.