What diet for stronger joints – what should you eat?

Have you heard about how running can damage your joints? I bet you heard it more than once. Certainly, people who have had nothing to do with running before and are now trying to start must watch out for this problem. 

What can you do in such a situation? Give up running? After all, so many other people are doing it. Sport is good for your health – they say! Diet plays an important role in supporting healthy joints and muscles, and runners especially should pay attention to what they eat. Here are some diet tips to help you maintain healthy joints and strengthen your musculoskeletal system. Read on to find out what to incorporate into your dietary routine to take care of your everyday working joints!

Take care of the protein in your body 

Protein is a key component of a runner’s diet. It helps rebuild and repair tissues, including muscles and joints. Therefore, only an adequate amount of proteinogenic amino acids enables the efficient regeneration of joint cartilage.

In your diet, you should include many products that are rich in protein. This is especially important when you are an athlete. Because you need more to regenerate muscle damage caused by training.

Therefore, after an intense workout, you need to replenish the protein that was used for energy production. However, what should be included in your diet? Here are some examples.

• meat – meat is one of the main sources of protein in the diet. It contains high-quality protein, which provides all the essential amino acids that the body must obtain from food. Chicken breast, pork ham, pork loin, or tenderloin have the highest amount of protein. It is important to consume meat in moderation and balance it with other sources of protein.
• fish – in the case of fish, you can consume them all, as they provide protein and other important components that are needed not only by the joints but also by other parts of the body. If you want to consume a lot of protein, it is best to choose lean fish such as cod or tuna. 
• dairy – your diet full of protein should also include dairy such as cheese, cottage cheese, or skyr yogurt. 
• legumes – beans, lentils, chickpeas, soybeans. 
• eggs – a fair amount of protein will be supplied to the body from the yolk.

Protein requirements vs. the daily requirements of an athlete 

Healthy adults should consume about 0.8 to 1.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. Runners who do intense training or train for longer distances may need slightly more protein. 

For most runners, a diet that provides about 1.2 to 2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day is usually sufficient. However, individual needs may vary, so it’s a good idea to consult a dietitian or nutritionist to choose the diet to your individual needs and training goals. In addition, it’s important to ensure that meals are regular and that your body gets enough protein before and after training to support muscle recovery.

Vitamin C in the diet vs. joint support

Vitamin C is essential for the production of collagen, which is an important part of connective tissue, including joint cartilage. Collagen is a protein that gives structural strength and flexibility to joint tissues. Therefore, vitamin C plays a key role in the maintenance and repair of joint cartilage. What’s more, vitamin C also has antioxidant properties – meaning that it helps protect joint cells from oxidative damage, which is caused by free radicals.

Vitamin C is not only found in lemons. It is also found in, among others: 

• peppers, 
• parsley, 
• kale, 
• kiwi, 
• broccoli, 
• cauliflower, 
• pickles, 
• strawberries.

Be sure to get a good dose of fruits and vegetables 

Vegetables and fruits are rich sources of vitamins and minerals that help maintain healthy joints. Vitamin C supports collagen production, and vitamin K is important for bone health. These foods also provide antioxidants that help fight harmful free radicals.

And what’s the ratio in daily life? You should consume ideally – 4 servings of vegetables and 1 serving of fruit per day. A 3:2 ratio will also be OK.

Collagen protein in the diet for stronger joints 

Collagen protein, what is it? It is very similar to that which builds human joints and is produced in the body regularly. One would think that we would never run out of such a building block, but unfortunately, as we age, its production in the body decreases. 

Remember that you can eat products with collagen, but you don’t have to. If you don’t lack animal and plant proteins from primary sources, then you won’t have to worry about the amount of collagen in your body. 

What collagen-rich products can you add to your diet if you want to supplement the amount?

• gelatin,
• liver, 
• brawn, 
• skin and tendons from animal meat.

What about fats? Are they also good for joints? 

Fats should also appear in your diet if you want to keep your joints healthy and strong. The best way to ensure this is with omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids can help keep your joints fluid by improving the quality of cell membranes and the production of synovial fluid. It can help protect joint cartilage, and it also promotes healing as you return to full fitness and sports after an injury. 

What products can you find omega-3 acids in?

• fatty fish – salmon, mackerel, herring. 
• seeds-sunflower, pumpkin, 
• nuts – walnuts and hazelnuts, 
• olive oil, 
• avocado, 
• rapeseed, 
• flax seeds.

Products that have an anti-inflammatory effect 

For your joints to recover well, especially after an intense workout, you need an anti-inflammatory diet. By introducing the right diet for your joints into your life, you automatically get an anti-inflammatory diet as well.

What has an anti-inflammatory effect? What to consume?

• products rich in vitamin C, 
• cocoa and dark chocolate, 
• whole grain products, 
• spices – turmeric, ginger, garlic,
• fruits and vegetables, 
• pickles, 
• black and green tea.

Diet for joints – is it enough?

A diet for joints is very important for any athlete, especially a runner. After all, he uses them every day during training. However, will diet alone be enough? Not really. To take full care of your joints, you should still implement a few changes or activities. What exactly? 

• regular stretching of the stats – will maintain their flexibility, and range of motion and help prevent injury. 
• strengthening the muscles – will protect the joints, and prevent injuries. 
• proper running shoes – the most important thing is cushioning and support for the foot while running. 
• hydration – adequate water will keep your joints flexible and healthy. 
• excessive strain – avoid workouts for which you are not yet worthy. By doing so, you put stress on your joints. Also, try to run on proper pavement. 
• proper running technique – with proper technique you can reduce the pressure on your joints during training.

That’s all I have to share with you in this article. I hope you now know what your diet should be so that you can take care of your joints. Be sure to incorporate the above-mentioned products into your daily life. This will make your joints stronger and more durable. Even heavier loads won’t be able to damage them!