What is MSM Good For? Muscle Pain Relief!
March 24, 2021Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) is often used as a dietary supplement and is known for containing a compound, found in plants, humans, and animals, that contains sulfur. Often used as a form of alternative medicine, MSM is known to be good for:
- Boosting immunity
- Relieving pain
- Reducing inflammation
If you have muscle pain, MSM may be able to help.
What is MSM Good for?
MSM can be consumed in a dietary supplement or applied topically. The compound has many benefits and uses but it is especially known for helping alleviate:
Joint Pain
Muscle pain often includes joint pain if the muscle is sore due to exercise. Pain in the joints often occurs due to inflammation and the breakdown of cartilage. MSM has been shown to:
- Protect the joints by reducing cartilage breakdown
- Decrease swelling, pain, and stiffness when consumed in amounts of 1,200 mg over a 12-week period
- Reduce pain & stiffness in joints caused by Arthritis
When joints feel better, muscle pain often subsides. If you’re experiencing muscle and joint pain, MSM may be able to help.
Inflammation
Inflammation occurs when muscle fibers are damaged during exercise. Damage to the muscle tissue is repaired making the muscle stronger in the process. Any time a person engages in strength training, they can be sure that they’re damaging muscle fibers which will then swell and inflame as a natural part of the healing process.
One study , involving 40 men that engaged in intense exercise, found that 3 grams of MSM were able to:
- Prevent immune cell over-stress
- Reduce inflammatory cytokine release
Glutathione, a very powerful antioxidant, is thought to be boosted when MSM is used as a supplement. The supplement may also reduce the release of molecules that produce inflammation, namely NF-kB, IL-6, and TNF-ɑ.
Muscle Pain
What is MSM good for? A lot of people swear by MSM for its ability to reduce muscle pain. Science has also performed numerous studies on MSM’s ability to help alleviate muscle pain with great results.
2015 Study
A study was conducted in 2015 to learn the effects MSM has on joint and muscle pain. Participants in the study were recruited as being part of a half-marathon team. There were 22 females and males that were instructed to take 3 grams of MSM for 21 days prior to their marathon race.
The participants also took MSM for the first two days after the marathon.
Researchers found that following the marathon, participants experienced muscle and joint soreness within 15 minutes. When compared to the placebo group, participants that were given MSM had lower levels of both joint and muscle pain.
Oxidative stress and muscle damage from acute exercise were both reduced.
The researchers recommend that the study be expanded to determine what post-exercise benefits MSM offers at a much larger scale.
2013 Study
A study conducted in 2013 on the ability of MSM to control pain and discomfort from exercise was performed. The participants included 24 men that were all moderately exercise-trained and it was conducted for a 14-day period followed by a 17-day washout period.
Participants underwent grueling exercise sessions where failure was reached for some exercises at the 10 to 12 set range. It wasn’t uncommon for sets of 26 to 28 to be performed. The researchers measured pain levels and also took measurements of inflammation, discomfort, antioxidant status, and homocysteine at 2- and 48-hours post-exercise.
The researchers reported significant reductions in pain and discomfort while also reducing inflammation in participants. Following intense workout sessions, researchers state that MSM may help reduce a person's pain and discomfort.
2012 Study
Another impressive study, from 2012 spanned over a 10-day period in which 18, young and active men were included. The study required the men to consume 50mg of MSM per kilogram of weight.
Following consumption, participants ran 14 km and had their blood taken before, immediately after, and four times following their exercise. Total antioxidant capacity among participants was measured and researchers found that the level increased within 30 minutes of activity.
Significant increases occurred within 24 hours of working out.
MSM was found to lower muscle damage by improving antioxidant capacity. The study only lasted for a period of ten days, so there is no data relating to long-term usage and how the effects of antioxidants were maintained or improved.
Muscle pain isn’t the only condition that MSM can help reduce. There have been multiple studies done on MSM that suggest that it may be able to:
- Fight back against certain forms of cancer, including skin, bladder, liver, colon, and stomach cancer
- Boost immune health by reducing inflammation and oxidative stress which may weaken your body’s immune system
- Alleviate arthritis symptoms, stiffness, and pain
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