Glucosamine Supplement for knee joints, anyone?

Hey all - I was curious if any skiers/climbers out there use Glucosamine and swear by it's effectiveness?  Being in my mid 30's, and having noticed the occasional knee pain following physical activities, I'm wondering if it would be a recommended path to consider taking as a regular supplement.  I remember a few years back a conversation I had with Mike Hattrup that he swears by it, being older & still very active.

Anyway, any thoughts out there would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

It depends on the source of the knee injury, but G. helps. It helps restore cartilage and joint fluid, and so in the long run will reduce aches and delay joint deterioration. I've been taking it for several years.
Call your doctor to check it out. It does not heal muscle and connective tissue. I started with only 1500 mg a day, much less than some manufacturers tell you.
I also wear braces on both knees. :

I've had knee pain on my right knee now for 20+ years. I tried Glucosamine for a year but it had no effect. I do wear a knee brace during activities and that makes the most difference for me (I play a lot of basketball and some running). If I don't wear the knee brace I experience much more pain the following day but with the brace there is very little.

I and my dog have both seen improvements from glucosamine. The dog dosage and perceived benefit pretty much controls for the placebo effect, IMHO

take it with MSM on the advice of my physician, which is a good 1-2 punch.

My understanding, (from my doctor's explanation) is that glucosamine supplements don't so much restore the cartilage as provide the material for the body to maintain what is there. In other words, if your cartilage is already hammered, no amount of the supplement is going to restore it to previous condition.

there is no evidence based research that indicates glucosamine works. save your money for lift tickets