Jiu Jitsu, Joint And Calcium Supplements, And Recovery

It’s obvious that flexibility is important in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. While flexibility is primarily a muscular attribute, tendons and cartilage also play supportive roles in flexibility. In Jiu Jitsu, athletes oftem find themselves in straining positions. This is why BJJ atheletes, more so than atheletes of many other sports, strongly benefit in having healthy, flexible joints.

For the same reason, Jiu Jitsu also requires healthy bones. Bone health is something most people (even athletes) don’t need to worry about until later in life, but because of the physical nature of the sport, having strong bones seems like a noble goal for any Jiu Jitsu athlete. Ensuring adequate calcium consumption is one of the best ways that I am aware of to promote bone health.

A couple of weeks ago I suffered a rib fracture while rolling in class. The timing was horrible because it was was my first class back since taking a break from the sport. It’s also my first injury from Jiu Jitsu. In the past I have taken calcium and glucosamine supplements, and while I can’t prove it, they did seem to increase the amount of stress my joints and body can take during work-outs and class. I also felt like I recovered faster between classes. In general, I felt less sore after work-outs.

I hate being injured and out of the game, so I have started taking calcuim and glucosamine once again with hope that it will help me heal a little faster. My bigger, long-term hope is that I’ll feel the way I originally did when I first took calcium glucosamine and so that day-to-day I’ll generally feel better between workouts.

Do you – or have you – taken a joint or calcium supplement? What was your experience?