As good as weight training and cardio exercise are for your body, they can cause wear and tear on your joints, ligaments and tendons, preventing you from lifting weights and doing cardio as often as you'd like. Although your body can fix itself on the fly, damage accumulates if the rate of wear and tear is greater than the rate of repair. If your shoulders are popping, your hip joints are starting to grind, or you have other exercise-related aches and pains, you need to control inflammation and prevent further damage.

Unfortunately, the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) that most people use, including Motrin IB and aspirin, can have side effects like stomach ulcers, kidney problems and ringing in the ears. These drugs also hamper joint healing and even the muscle-building process itself, which is why an increasing number of active women are choosing alternative approaches. Use this article as your guide to the best supplements for joints - you'll enjoy less soreness and faster healing after your workouts.

Glucosamine & Chondroitin Sulfate
These two great alternatives to NSAIDs belong to a class called glycosaminoglycans, which are natural building blocks used to build and repair joint cartilage and fascia, another type of connective tissue. (See "Joint Jargon" on page 3 for a glossary of connective-tissue terms, and "Injury Aid" at right for how to deal with common injuries to connective tissue caused by sports.) Glucosamine and chondroitin are used to build the "ground substance" of joint cartilage, with collagen being the other major component. Because your body can make glucosamine only slowly, taking it as a supplement may effectively speed the healing of your joints after exercise. Studies have even shown glucosamine and chondroitin to be effective against arthritis in clinical settings, making these supplements first-line treatments for most people with joint complaints.

Unlike fish oil extracts, which reduce inflammatory damage to joints, glucosamine and chondroitin primarily enhance the rebuilding process of cartilage and fascia. As a result, glucosamine and chondroitin are best added to a supplementation regimen that includes (at different times) fish oil extracts and anti-inflammatory drugs like aspirin and Motrin IB (glucosamine restores the rate of cartilage healing after aspirin has suppressed it).

Chondroitin is made up of chains of galactosamine (made from glucosamine) and glucuronic acid (made from glucose). It's closer to being cartilage than glucosamine is, but some experts suggest that it isn't as well absorbed. Chondroitin is also a bit more expensive at about $1 per gram vs. approximately $0.66 per gram of glucosamine, and it's not as aggressively marketed. Still, evidence suggests it's about as good as glucosamine at supporting renewal of joint cartilage and reducing symptoms of arthritis. Buy chondroitin in particular from a large, reliable manufacturer.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Unlike glucosamine and chondroitin, omega-3 fatty acids don't assist in the rebuilding of joints but instead reduce wear and tear. For example, clinical trials have found omega-3s to be useful for arthritis if enough is taken for several months, and they're likely to reduce wear and tear caused by exercise as well. Of course, omega-3 fatty acids are also considered essential to good health. One of the best omega-3 supplements for joints is fish oil extract, which is rich in the omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Both fight joint-damaging enzymes called collagenases and reduce inflammation, factors believed to play a role in arthritis as well as other aches and pains. As a result, fish oil is a great supplement for reducing joint and tendon pain and preventing wear and tear. In fact, a number of top-notch clinical trials have found that about 6 grams per day of 30% omega-3 fish oil extract reduces symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. That's why eating fish at least twice per week - especially oily, cold-water varieties like salmon, trout and water-packed tuna - or taking fish oil capsules is recommended.

At first glance, fish oil has the drawback of being generally lower in omega-3 fatty acids than flaxseed oil: 30% omega-3s for most fish oil preparations vs. 55% omega-3s for flaxseed oil. Yet EPA and DHA are about 11 times more potent than alpha-linolenic acid (ALA from flaxseed oil), and recent fish oil concentrates contain as much as 92% omega-3 fatty acids. Buying a more concentrated fish oil capsule reduces the pills you have to swallow to four 500 mg capsules per day. Tell your doctor if you're on blood-thinning medication or drugs for arthritis, as fish or flaxseed oils may increase risk of bruising or bleeding under these circumstances.

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