Best Joint Support Supplement 2020

Healthy joints support extreme physical performance. Extreme physical performance trashes healthy joints.

It’s a truly thankless task being a joint, the meeting point between your bones that allows you to flex, extend, rotate, and, well, move your body at all.

Joints give, all we do is take!

Except, nah, we’re not thaaat bad. We do support our joints in various ways.

We soak in hot tubs and hot springs, we massage ourselves. Sometimes we even pay for really expensive massages for those very deep aches in our joints. We buy those cool-sounding mineral waters at gift shops that are totally sourced from natural hot springs, and we spray them on our elbows and knees.

And, yes, we take joint support supplements!

Granted, we do these things mainly because they feel good and we are, after all, creatures of comfort.

But what’s more uncomfortable than achy joints? Than feeling pain at the centers of our movement? (Perhaps having a pencil shoved into your eye, but let’s not be a smart-ass about it.)

This is why we’re highlighting here the benefits of joint support supplements. As well as the Best Joint Support Supplement of 2020 that we can buy to show our hard-working joints that, yes, actually we do care!

No, this isn’t a gift for us, it’s a gift for you, joints! How about a “thank you”?!

The Best 5 Joint Supplement Guide

If you’ve done your research, you’ve likely come across a few lists of food suggestions that may help strengthen your joints and hopefully mitigate a bit of your joint pain, the same pain that lead you to research “foods for joint pain” in the first place. Cherries, turmeric, salmon—foods high in antioxidant and anti-inflammatory nutrients are likely at the top of the list. And you certainly should consider emphasizing them in your diet, if you are experiencing significant joint pain.

However, in addition to these food items, there are also joint support supplements that provide potent, powerful extracts of natural substances specifically intended to target and promote the integrity of your joint health.

Unfortunately, it’s not until the damage has been done that we finally start to consider the immense health benefits of a joint support stack, thus begging the question:

When Do You Need a Joint Support Stack?

Typically, two categories of supplement users take joint support stacks: athletes and old folks. The reasoning for this is obvious.

The highly active lifestyles of athletes, including bodybuilders and endurance runners, place a significant amount of stress on joint tissue.

Exercise acutely stresses joints while anabolic muscle growth gradually stresses joint tissue by giving the joint more meat to move and pull and push around.

And, as we age, the wear-and-tear accumulated by decades of acute and gradual stress on the joints naturally makes old age feel a bit stiff. And creaky around the hips, elbows, shoulders…and, well, everywhere else.

However, in our increasingly device-mediated work environments, we may as well throw another human category in the mix: tech-nerds.

Seems kind of ridiculous but apparently sitting on your ass in front of a computer all day while typing on a keyboard also takes a toll on your joints. And not only the joints in your hands, wrists, and elbows but also on all of your posture-related joints from your hips downward.

Highly active or highly inactive, it doesn’t matter: there’s no escaping joint pain! 

So, with that in mind, the best time to take a joint support stack is right now.

Whether you’re old or young, exercising and gaming (or both), supplementing a natural joint support supplement may provide a combination of both remedial and preventive benefits when it comes to your short- and long-term joint health.

Especially when taken as part of a joint strengthening fitness regimen.

No doubt, much of these measures of daily health and fitness we take for granted during our youthful years.

It may not even occur to many of us that the ability to bend the arm at the elbow or kick a ball by extending the leg at the knee is one that may come with great effort after only a single injury—and that will certainly come with great effort in our less youthful years.

So, before reaching that point, perhaps consider a joint support supplement as a form of gratitude for your smooth, easy-gliding joints—a “thank you” that your joints will reciprocate by continuing to smoothly glide on game-day as well as after the game—well after, during your later years in life.

What to Look for in a Joint Support Supplement

Because so many joint support supplements target elderly health demographics. There are many cheap-O brands on the market trying to pull a fast one on their consumer base. This is scummy and unfortunate—however, there are a few ingredients to look for in a joint support supplement that we’ve listed below.

The most effective joint support supplements supply most—or, ideally, all—of the following natural ingredients:

Boswellia Serrata

Boswellia serrata is a desert tree known for secreting a gum resin containing bio-active boswellic acids. Most notably AKBA (3-0-acetyl-11 keto-β-boswellic acid).

It’s the most effective boswellic acid for joint health. AKBA is the bio-active constituent that should be emphasized in any Boswellia serrata extract you find in a joint support supplement.

Clinical research has demonstrated this gum resin to be effective at improving joint comfort and physical performance. And AKBA achieves these benefits likely through protecting joints against:

• Joint-damaging immune responses;
• 5-LOX, an enzyme that essentially eats your cartilage;
• Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP), an enzyme that eats connective tissue.

Altogether, these bio-mechanisms make AKBA easily one of the best joint support ingredients you can take to …well, support your joints!

Turmeric Extract (Curcumin)

Here’s one of the more familiar joint assisting ingredients.

Often, it’s one of the first places supplement consumers go. Especially in their later years, when looking for a “natural remedy” to soothe joint pain and improve their cognitive clarity.

It’s a staple of Ayurvedic medicine. Turmeric, which supplies the bio-active plant pigment curcumin, seems to be incredibly effective at improving health and performance. Across the board by combating deleterious agents of oxidative stress and inflammation.

Specifically, curcumin seems to naturally benefit joint health by; neutralizing free radicals, egulating COX-2 enzyme, protecting against MMP enzymes, supporting collagen synthesis, and reducing advanced glycation end-products (AGEs).

These account for much of those feelings of “stiffness” in joints and movement. As such, this is a great option for stiffness relief.

Glucosamine

Naturally found in tissues in and around joints, including cartilage, ligaments, and synovial fluids. Glucosamine is an amino sugar that, when taken in supplement form, assists with joint health by supporting:

• Proteins used to create connective tissues;
• Chondryte cells that repair damaged cartilage;
• Synovial fluid that lubricates joint movement.

This is somewhat overlooked by many fitness- and performance-related health supplements. But, Glucosamine is an awesome natural ingredient to take if you’re seeking cushier, stronger, well-lubricated joints.

Chondroitin

Composed of a chain of alternating sugars, chondroitin is naturally found attached to proteins as part of a proteoglycan matrix that sustains water in cartilage tissue, sort of like a sponge.

This is what partly grants cartilage its fluidity and flexibility without losing its firmness or form. Both of which are obviously important as you can easily understand by wriggling the cartilaginous end of your nose. (Do it now, and then yell, “Thank you, chondroitin!”)

For joint support, chondroitin seems to work by maintaining hydration in shock-absorbent cartilage tissue, supporting collagen synthesis, and regulating cartilage growth and repair.

Methylsulfonylmethane

The fifth ingredient to look out for on this list, methylsulfonylmethane (MSM), is an incredibly important nutrient required for the maintenance of collagen. As well as other protein-related compounds such as the aforementioned glucosamine and chondroitin.

Consider this a supplement to your joint support supplement. An ingredient that not only supports joint health on its own but also seems to offer additional assistance to the bio-benefits of other joint health ingredients such as, again, glucosamine and chondroitin.

Best 5 Supplement’s Criteria for the Best Joint Support Supplement of 2020

Having all the best ingredients isn’t everything required to make an effective joint support supplement.

Other criteria must be taken into consideration, such as:

• Potency: enhanced forms make ingredients easier to absorb;
• Dosage: the best ingredients must also be sufficiently dosed;
• Transparency: no dosage-hiding proprietary blends;
• Hygiene: the “Other Ingredients” must be sparse and natural;
• Focused: a simple formula often goes further than a complicated one;
• Reputation: via a reputable company backed by positive reviews;
• Affordable: the price must match the value.

There are plenty of turmeric supplements that offer “Clinical Joint Support,” and so on, yet many of these supplements fail to deliver on their turmeric benefits because they fail to deliver a turmeric that’s easy to absorb. (Turmeric requires absorption assistance to work at a peak level.)

The same applies to many other ingredients and formulas in the joint supplement market.

Our criteria for the best joint support supplement of 2020 looks for a stack that not only supplies the right ingredients but also supplies them in advanced.

Yet natural forms at sufficient dosages that aren’t hidden beneath proprietary blends. And our search had led us to what’s easily the best joint support supplement on the market:

Quick Summary

As one of the most comprehensive, yet straightforward joint support supplements available, Performance Lab Flex is a more-than-welcome new addition to the Performance Lab line of supplements.

If there’s one thing that limits many joint supplements, it’s that they often design their formulas for a specific age range.

Fortunately, Performance Lab Flex bucks this trend with a joint support stack that works for all ages of all lifestyles.

Not to mention all dietary lifestyles, thanks to Performance Lab’s use of vegan-friendly, eco-friendly formula and NutriCaps® capsules.

Because many joint-supporting ingredients commonly come from animal byproducts, finding a vegan-friendly support stack can be a bit of a task.

And that’s a bummer to both vegans and non-vegans alike. As a cleanly sourced joint stack tends to come without all the junky additives that gunk up your digestion.

It sticks to using only cleanly sourced ingredients packed into clean, green NutriCaps® capsules. So, Performance Lab Flex makes it easy for your body to absorb these complex acids, aminos, and compounds and allow them to get to work fast on your aching joints.

*To Buy or see the best deal, visit: www.performancelab.com/products/flex

This all sounds groovy. But, to better understand the exceptional quality of this formula, let’s check out the ingredients:

Performance Lab Flex Supplement Facts

A simple 6-ingredient stack that doesn’t try to pull of any hybrid “two-for-one” gimmicks, like many fitness-related supplements do. (E.g., adding a little caffeine and calling it an “EXTREME ENERGY JOINT STACK!!”)

Instead, Performance Lab Flex focuses only on the ingredients that work, ensuring that they work to their greatest capacity.

Just check out the quality of the ingredients in this formula:

• CurcuWIN®: a somewhat funny name for a turmeric extract ingredient, this extract essentially makes curcumin 46 times more absorbable, which is a big deal considering how difficult this supernutrient is to absorb otherwise.
• AprèsFlex®: compared to plain Boswellia, this advanced gum resin ingredient possesses a 52% greater absorption rate and is standardized to a potent 20% AKBA for a greater concentration of joint support bio-activation.
• Glucosamine Sulfate SKCL: while most glucosamine is sourced from shellfish, Performance Lab Flex uses a unique, well-researched form naturally sourced from corn. So, have no fears taking this stack if you have shellfish allergies.
• Mythocondro®: the only vegetarian form of chondroitin, Mythocondro® boosts chondroitin bioavailability by 43%, thereby improving the overall effectiveness of this awesome cartilege supporting complex.
• OptiMSM®: made with a proprietary distillation process, OptiMSM® yields an organic methylsulfonylmethane form of a greater purity, quality, and consistency as compared to the standard version of this key joint nutrient.
• NutriGenesis® Strontrium: Performance Lab’s NutriGenesis® process naturally produces vitamins and minerals that are food-identical in form and easy-to-absorb, and this NutriGenesis® Strontium, a calcium-like mineral that’s great for joint and bone health integrity, is no exception here.

Why Performance Lab Flex is the Best

The clean, green formula and capsules. The quality of the ingredients. The product’s commitment to transparency (by avoiding proprietary blends). There’s much to like about Performance Lab Flex, but what’s best about this formula is how these factors all stack up to an above-and-beyond joint support supplement that genuinely improves athletic and recreational physical performance. Some of these potent ingredients even crossover into other health territories, improving other aspects of your health—as is the case with turmeric’s effects on cognition. And what’s particularly great is how affordable this high-quality stack is, as compared to other joint supplements that do less yet charge you more.

How to Take Performance Lab Flex

It’s easy peasy. Here are the directions on the label: “Take 2 capsules daily. For additional soothing joint support take 2 capsules immediately after physical activity. For best results use daily and consistently.” And that’s about right: this is a performance stack you’ll want to take daily for ongoing support, not on an “as-needed” basis for acute performance enhancement.

How Much Does It Cost?

Depending on how many bottles you add per order, the pricing for Performance Lab Flex works like this, respectively:

• One Bottle: $40 for 60 capsules
• Two Bottles: $76 for 120 capsules (5% saving)
• Three Bottles: $108 for 180 capsules (10% saving)

You can do the math here. The more bottles you add per order, the cheaper the price per serving. Buying in bulk for daily supplements is totes the way to go. However, you can always mix-and-match this stack with other Performance Lab supplements, with some products bought in bulk and others on an as-needed basis.

Here are a few recommended stack options that go well with Performance Lab Flex:

Stack Performance Lab Flex with…

Performance Lab Whole-Food Multi

Another awesome daily health support supplement, Performance Lab Whole-Food Multi is a multivitamin stack that offers a comprehensive micronutrient (vitamins and minerals) foundation for other health and fitness supplements to better build upon. No doubt, it’s best to get your micronutrients through a whole-food diet. But given modern food processing practices that sap foods’ nutrient levels, this is easier said than done. Through a unique fermentation process, Performance Lab supplies a natural, food-identical array of vitamins and minerals that are effective and easy on the gut. Great for daily nutrient replenishment.

And Performance Lab Whole-Food Multi splits into two different “For Men” and “For Women” formula variations for your particular micronutrient needs.

*To learn more about Performance Lab Whole-Food Multi, click here.

Performance Lab Sleep

Elsewhere in this guide, we mentioned cherries as a popular dietary go-to for joint health enhancement. Well, Performance Lab Sleep has the cherries, more specifically the Montmorency tart cherries that are well known for supplying natural melatonin, which assists with sleep quality and overnight recovery. As a sleep supplement, this natural melatonin stack is one of the most reliable and healthiest options for better sleep. But what makes this stack particularly stand out in a joint support context is Montmorency tart cherry’s supply of anthocyanin antioxidants that provide additional support for achy muscles and joints.

Getting better sleep is a massively positive lifestyle change that’s great for overall health, including joint health. But getting better sleep with Performance Lab Sleep places an even greater emphasis on joint health and post-exercise recovery.

*To learn more about Performance Lab Sleep, click here.

Performance Lab SPORT Protein

Speaking of post-exercise recovery, Performance Lab SPORT Protein has your back …and your biceps and your quads and your pecs, and whatever else it is you’ve been working on. (Okay, be honest, it’s only your pecs and biceps.) Similar to Performance Lab Whole-Food Multi, this SPORT Protein stack takes a more “whole-istic” approach to exercise health enhancement with its use of the certified organic whole grain rice protein called Oryzatein®, the only rice protein found in clinical research to be as effect at whey protein at promoting anabolic muscle gains.

Taken with Performance Lab Flex, SPORT Protein’s anabolic muscle gain benefits may come without the cost typically taken on the joints, which otherwise painfully strain to deal with all that added muscle mass.

*To learn more about Performance Lab SPORT Protein, click here.