Cetyl Myristoleate Documentation

Snap, crackle, pop. No, it isn't your Rice Krispies cereal, but the sound some people's joints make when they lift weights. Though popping and snapping sounds aren't necessarily indicative of Joint damage, joint pain from tendinitis, bursitis and even arthritis isn't an uncommon problem for the hard-training athlete. Over the years, many dubious "cures" for aching joints have popped up, only to rid bodybuilders of their money without relieving their pain.

Recently, a fatty acid with the long name cis-9Cetyl myristoleate (CMO) has gotten the attention of athletes and researchers concerned with finding ways of preventing and/or mitigating joint pain. Discovered by a researcher at the National Institutes of Health, CMO shows promise as an overall reliever of joint pain from a variety of causes. In animals, CMO protected joints from chemicals that would normally cause arthritis.1

A prospective, randomized trial was recently set up to test CMO in 106 humans.2 The results were impressive, with nearly a 60% improvement in swelling and pain in some patients taking CMO. Anecdotally, reductions in pain and swelling appear to happen quickly and in response to relatively small amounts. A dosage of 12-15 grams spread out over an entire month was reported to be effective.3