We all get old. It’s the goal, isn’t it? And it sure beats the alternative. As long as we’re on the right side of the grass, we’re going to age. Part of aging is increased pain in our joints and muscles, resulting in reduced flexibility. Over time, these can lead to deterioration of performance, which can eventually keep us out of the gym. This phenomenon is something that none of us look forward to, but for which we all must prepare.

The first step a bodybuilder should take when long-term joint and muscle inflammation lead to severe pain is to get some rest. Isolate which exercises are causing the greatest amount of pain and remove them from your routine – temporarily or indefinitely. Give the entire body a few days’ worth of rest, and then slowly return to the gym. Bump up the repetition range on those exercises and reduce the weight.

Secondly, bodybuilders should look into moderate-term pain relief solutions. These include NSAIDs, over-the-counter solutions such as Tylenol or Aspirin, and other drugs prescribed by a doctor. These drugs cannot be used in the long-term, but they do provide a few weeks’ worth of assistance. Remember that several elite professional bodybuilders, including a very promising Tom Prince, suffered severe organ damage and had to walk away form the sport due to abuse of OTC painkillers.

If and when these methods prove unsuccessful, there is another option which a surprising number of bodybuilders are suddenly employing – a drug known as PSAG, or Polysulfated Glycosaminoglycan. Sold as Adequan, PSAG is an injectable compound which was originally designed for treatment of animals with joint deterioration. Resourceful sports medicine researchers soon discovered the drug worked wonders in the improvement of joint problems of human beings, but also in elevating testosterone levels. This is done through increased white blood cell count.

Much of the anabolic properties of this drug are still unproven, but field data suggests it is very useful in building muscle and testosterone levels. There hasn’t exactly been a mountain of studies funded to test its effects upon bodybuilders for these purposes. There are far more effective testosterone delivery systems. However, even a small boost will make a huge difference for many bodybuilders, so those suffering from slightly low testosterone levels and painful joints may find this to be an ideal solution. Users tended to make a gain of 10 to 15% in their bodyweight. This effect was not expected by researchers, but was very notable to sports researchers. If a 220-pound bodybuilder is able to add 15% to his body weight, he’s suddenly standing onstage at 253 pounds – an incredible feat! Its other effects have been noted with a bit more precision. Increases in synovial fluid leading to increased flexion and range of motion are the first proven effects. This leads to a reduction of joint pain without the need for long term drug use which may open the door for greater health problems. If rest and medication don’t solve your joint problems, give PSAG a shot.

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