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Glucosamine is quite popular and is featured prominently in pharmacies and supermarkets in Australia.

I was once recommended by a GP to take glucosamine tablets to reduce joint soreness as I exercise quite regularly and occasionally have joint soreness.

Is there any evidence (peer reviewed papers etc.) that glucosamine actually works to built up cartilage in joints?

My personal experience was I didn't notice any perceivable difference.

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  • it's not FDA approved either. its just like any other suppliments.
    – KJYe.Name
    Commented Mar 2, 2011 at 18:46
  • I'm not sure about actually building up cartilage, but I have heard more support for the idea that it helps prevent further cartilage loss.
    – Robin Ashe
    Commented Jun 30, 2012 at 8:43
  • I talked to a reputable orthopedic surgeon about this, his answer was "We are not sure it works, but there is some evidence and it can't hurt."
    – VSO
    Commented Sep 15, 2017 at 18:22
  • I am using glucosamine and hydrolyzed collagen since I get osteoarthritis in my knee, because of extreme sports like longboarding and skateboarding. I can tell that the first day of take a 10g of collagen, I felt something weird inside my knee. Like something was putting me electroshocks inside my knee. Six months later, I am still using both but I had to quit extreme sports and take my bicycle to commute from home to work. Somehow my life changes, at 32 years old, makes you realize that life is only one.
    – falconR
    Commented Feb 13, 2019 at 22:48
  • I also never noticed any difference, but it didn't hurt anything either.
    – Roger
    Commented Feb 14, 2019 at 18:12

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I head to NIH if I want non biased supplementation information. The problem is that it almost always has to do in the context of disease, so their write-up seems to be effective in the context of Osteoarthritis:

Osteoarthritis. Most research on glucosamine sulfate has measured its effectiveness on osteoarthritis of the knee. However, there is some evidence that it might also help osteoarthritis of the hip or spine.

Some research suggests that glucosamine reduces pain of osteoarthritis in the knee about as well as the over-the-counter pain reliever acetaminophen (Tylenol). It also seems to reduce pain about as much as the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil) and piroxicam (Feldene). But there is a difference between glucosamine sulfate and these drugs in the time it takes to reduce pain. The NSAIDs, such as Motrin, Advil, and Feldene, relieve symptoms and reduce pain usually within about 2 weeks, but the glucosamine sulfate takes about 4-8 weeks.

Glucosamine sulfate does not seem to decrease pain in everyone who takes it. Some people get no benefit. Some research shows that glucosamine sulfate might not work very well for people with more severe, long-standing osteoarthritis, or for people who are older or heavier.

In addition to relieving pain, glucosamine sulfate might also slow the breakdown of joints in people with osteoarthritis who take it long-term. Some researchers hope that glucosamine sulfate might keep osteoarthritis from getting worse as quickly as it otherwise might. There is some evidence that people who take glucosamine sulfate might be less likely to need total knee replacement surgery.

When I want to know things related with sports, I use the British Journal of Sports Medicine, keep in mind most of the content is behind a paywall. Fortunately this study on glucosamine is not:

glucosamine supplementation can provide some degree of pain relief and improved function in persons who experience regular knee pain, which may be caused by prior cartilage injury and/or osteoarthritis. The trends in the results also suggest that, at a dosage of 2000 mg per day, the majority of improvements are present after eight weeks.

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    +1 for telling how you find answers instead of directly answering the question.
    – claws
    Commented Aug 13, 2014 at 23:08

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