Add THRESHHold MSM to get the most out of your training

With the vaccination programme underway and spring not too far away, now is the time to begin a marathon training plan for a 42,2km race in October. If for example, you have selected the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon as your target for a new personal best then it's time to consider your plan of attack. Any typical 12 to 16 week training programme will include a peak training phase of about 4 weeks, when injury and illness generally tend to rear their ugly heads.

But incorporating approved natural supplements into your diet could be the answer to ensuring that you remain injury free throughout your training plan and hit that time goal on October 17. "Inside your body you've got a lot of sulphur. In fact it accounts for about a third of your total body weight," says Dr. David Naude who is Head of Medical Research at SA Natural Products.

Dr. Naude receiving his Comrades Green Number from legendary Alan Robb who is a four-time winner and is one of a select few to have completed the race 40 times or more. Photo Credit: Dr. David Naude.

"Where you find the sulphur is in tendons and ligaments, muscles and connective tissue, which is things that help you stretch and help your muscles move. So without sulphur, your body loses flexibility and its cushioning ability. So MSM is a form of natural sulphur and it's a potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory," explains the man who is also the owner of a Comrades Marathon Green Number.

Naude has seen the results first hand. After taking a break to focus on his family and career, the good doctor returned to running the Comrades Marathon with the aim of getting that coveted tenth Comrades medal. But after 12 years out of the game, he was beset by constant injury, which he was only able to conquer by adding THRESHHold MSM to his training regime. "I did 4 Comrades and then I took 12 years off. And then when I came back in 2013, I just hit the wall with ITB and all sorts of Achilles issues. So I needed something to help me get back on the road. I spent hours at the chiropractor, but what I also found particularly useful was MSM," he told #TheTopRunner.

Dr. Naude enjoys a training run past the Comrades Wall of Honour in his native Hillcrest. Photo Credit: MWMedia.

Because it doesn't interact with any other medications and is not a banned substance, Naude advises the use of THRESHHold MSM as a safe natural anti-inflammatory most especially during the peak phase of any training plan, where injury risk is high. He says the sulphur needs to build up in the body, meaning that runners should take the natural supplement everyday for at least 30 days before the peak phase of training begins.

"It also helps you to recover," he adds. "There are good clinical trials to confirm that MSM speeds up recovery time and reduces post-running soreness so if you've done a long run it helps you to get back out there quicker and helps you to recover quicker after that run," he shares. So if you're aiming to smash your marathon PB in October and have rightly started training now, then try THRESHHold MSM to help you make the most of your long runs and get the best out of your training.

Tune into #TheTopRunner on SuperSport channel 207 at 6pm tonight to hear more of Dr. David Naude's advice on the safe use of THRESHHold MSM as part of your training.