Musculoskeletal System

Nutrients connected to Musculoskeletal System

A link means the body needs the nutrient for this, or that low intake is linked to it. It does not mean extra supplements help if your intake is already adequate; each link shows how strong the evidence is.

• Vitamin DEstablished role

  Vitamin D helps regulate calcium and phosphate, which bones and muscles need. Severe lack causes soft bones.

• CalciumEstablished role

  Calcium is stored in bone and is needed for muscle contraction.

• MagnesiumEstablished role

  Magnesium is needed for normal muscle function and strong bones. Low levels can cause muscle spasms, cramps and weakness.

• PhosphorusEstablished role

  Phosphorus helps form bones and teeth and supports muscle contraction. Deficiency is rare, and supplements are not needed when diet is adequate.

• CreatineEstablished role

  Creatine is held mainly in muscle, where it supports short bursts of effort. Supplements raise muscle stores in people who are not deficient.

• Man on horsebackDocumented risk

  Delayed muscle breakdown with weakness and pain was reported after eating this mushroom repeatedly.

• Creatine in Food (Meat and Fish)Established role

  Most creatine is stored in muscle, and food and the body's own production keep stores up.

• Collagen Peptides (Hydrolyzed Collagen)Preliminary or mixed

  Trials cover knee osteoarthritis, bone density, muscle gain with training and tendon outcomes, with uneven quality.

• Bone Health FormulasPreliminary or mixed

  Same evidence as for bones: established nutrient roles, limited proof that extra amounts prevent fractures.

• Vitamin CEstablished role

  Vitamin C helps repair and maintain cartilage, bones and teeth. Supplements have not been shown to add benefit when intake is adequate.

• PotassiumEstablished role

  Potassium is needed for muscle contraction. Low levels can cause cramps and weak or twitching muscles.

• IronEstablished role

  Iron is part of myoglobin, which supplies oxygen to muscle; iron overload can affect joints.

• BCAAs (leucine, isoleucine, valine)Preliminary or mixed

  Some pooled studies found less soreness after hard exercise and small gains in older adults; results vary and benefits for athletes were minimal.

• Beta-alaninePreliminary or mixed

  Beta-alanine raises carnosine in muscle, which helps buffer acid during hard exercise; the performance benefit is small.

• Curcumin (turmeric supplements)Preliminary or mixed

  Early reviews report positive results for knee osteoarthritis pain and stiffness; NCCIH says better studies are needed and the evidence is not conclusive.

• TurmericPreliminary or mixed

  Early studies of turmeric or curcumin taken by mouth report some improvement in knee osteoarthritis pain and stiffness, but NIH says better-quality studies are needed. A review of supplement trials rated the overall evidence very low quality.

• ArnicaPreliminary or mixed

  Applied to the skin over sore joints and muscles; evidence is limited to one hand osteoarthritis trial plus traditional use.

• BoswelliaPreliminary or mixed

  Some trials and pooled analyses of oral boswellia extracts in osteoarthritis report less pain and stiffness, but studies are small, one 2024 analysis found no significant overall effect, and NCCIH says evidence is not enough to call it useful.

• Devil's clawPreliminary or mixed

  Some short-term trials of standardized root extracts found less joint or back pain than placebo, but the Cochrane review rated this evidence low quality and the EU committee accepted it only as traditional use.

• Willow barkClinically supported

  Standardized extract gave short-term low back pain relief in trials; osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis trials were negative.

• Nirgundi (Chinese chaste tree)Preliminary or mixed

  Used traditionally for joint pain. Only a branded nirgundi and ginger blend has been tested in small, company-linked human trials; nirgundi alone has no human trials.

• TurmericPreliminary or mixed

  Early meta-analyses of oral turmeric or curcumin are positive for knee osteoarthritis; better research is needed. Not shown for food amounts.

• Poison hemlockDocumented risk

  Muscle weakness and paralysis occur in poisoning.

• Prunes (Dried Plums)Preliminary or mixed

  Bone density trials in postmenopausal women are mixed; no fracture outcomes shown.

• Balneotherapy (Spa Therapy)Preliminary or mixed

  Joint and back conditions: promising but limited.

• Sulfur (Sulphur) BathsPreliminary or mixed

  Studied for arthritis pain in spa settings with weak trials.

• Magnesium Creatine ChelatePreliminary or mixed

  Small trials of this form looked at muscle work output and torque; evidence is limited.

• Bovine Collagen (Types I and III)Preliminary or mixed

  One 13-week trial of pork-skin and bovine-bone peptides and a meta-analysis of four high-risk-of-bias trials reported less knee osteoarthritis pain; findings are limited. One 12-month trial in postmenopausal women and a 2025 meta-analysis reported small bone density gains with collagen peptides, with very uneven results; the peptide source in the trial is not stated, so it may not be bovine.

• Chicken Collagen (Type II)Preliminary or mixed

  Studied mainly for knee joint symptoms; evidence is small, short and product-specific.

• Eggshell Membrane (NEM)Preliminary or mixed

  Knee osteoarthritis trials and a 2024 meta-analysis; evidence limited.

• UC-II (Undenatured Type II Collagen)Preliminary or mixed

  Same knee-joint trials; symptom scores, not structure.

• Whey Protein PowderClinically supported

  With resistance training, whey-containing supplements gave small extra gains in fat-free mass and strength in trials; effects are small and trials are short.

• Joint Formulas (Glucosamine, Chondroitin, MSM, Turmeric)Preliminary or mixed

  Same research: knee osteoarthritis pain and function, mixed results.

• Vitamin AEstablished role

  Vitamin A helps form and maintain bones, but too much preformed vitamin A may raise fracture risk.

• Vitamin B1 (thiamin)Established role

  Thiamin plays a role in muscle contraction. No benefit from extra supplements is shown.

• SeleniumDeficiency link

  Selenium deficiency has been linked to Kashin-Beck disease, a joint and bone disease seen in low-selenium regions.

• CopperEstablished role

  Copper helps keep bones healthy, and low intake may lead to osteoporosis. Supplements mainly matter when copper is low.

• FluoridePreliminary or mixed

  Fluoride is found mostly in bones and teeth, and too little may lead to weak bones and teeth. Extra supplements are not shown to strengthen bones.

• Krill oilPreliminary or mixed

  Krill oil has been tested for knee osteoarthritis with mixed results.

• Polyphenols: quercetin and resveratrolPreliminary or mixed

  Quercetin lowered soreness and a muscle-damage marker after hard exercise in small studies.

• Choline (supplement forms: bitartrate, phosphatidylcholine and others)Deficiency link

  Muscle damage markers rose in controlled studies where choline was withheld. This is a deficiency finding, not a use for supplements.

• CistanchePreliminary or mixed

  Small trials looked at strength and walking speed with cistanche extract. Evidence is a single small trial of one species; traditional use is not proof of benefit.

• Dipsacus (xu duan, Japanese teasel)Preliminary or mixed

  Traditional use for bone, joint and tendon problems; human trial evidence for the herb alone was not found.

• PlumsPreliminary or mixed

  Prune trials on bone density in postmenopausal women are mixed; a trial in older men showed no significant change.

• Nettle TeaPreliminary or mixed

  Minor joint pain, traditional use.

• ShilajitPreliminary or mixed

  Bone density and fracture-healing trials were small single studies; evidence is limited.

• FucoidanPreliminary or mixed

  One trial improved grip strength in older adults.

• Creatine GummiesPreliminary or mixed

  The only gummy trial measured performance and body composition in athletes; lean mass and skeletal muscle mass showed no significant group differences.

• Multi-Collagen Blends (Types I, II, III, V, X)Preliminary or mixed

  Cartilage collagen types are structural; the supplement evidence is one small trial of one blend.

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