San Diego: A supplement taken by athletes is better at fighting osteoarthritis pain than prescription drugs, research by the American College of Rheumatologyhas revealed.

Sportsmen have been using glucosamine sulphate and chondroitin – basic building blocks in cartilage tissue – for years because of the enormous pressure on their joints.

Now a study funded by the U.S. government says over-the-counter supplements significantly reduce pain as joints naturally wear with increasing age.

It is thought they decrease the inflammation caused by the disorder and stimulate the production of cells needed to make new cartilage. Supplements helped four out of five people and had negligible side effects.