Acute effects of combination of glucosamine sulphate lontophoresis with exercise on fasting plasma glucose of participants with knee osteoarthritis †

Glucosamine administration is being speculated to alter glucose metabolism and few studies had investigated the effects to confirm this speculation. It is not known if glucosamine sulphate administration through the process of iontophoresis will contradictorily raise the plasma glucose being a sugar. Fifty-two participants with Knee osteoarthritis were randomly assigned to 3 groups: Group 1 participants received exercise therapy followed by administration of 300 mg (an equivalent of 3 mL) of glucosamine sulphate through iontophoresis. Group 2 also received an equivalent of 3 mL glucosamine sulphate iontophoresis without exercise whereas Group 3 received exercise therapy only. Glucometer (One Touch-Ultra easy model) was used to monitor the pre and post fasting plasma glucose. Descriptive and inferential statistics (analysis of variance) were used. The result of analysis of variance showed that there was no significant difference in the final fasting blood sugar (FBS) of the 3 groups. Within session assessment for Group 1 showed that there was also no significant difference in the FBS at different phases of interventions. However, for Group 2, there was significant reduction in FBS immediately after iontophoresis (p < 0.05). Similarly, for Group 3, the FBS was significantly lowered immediately after exercise (p < 0.03). This study concluded that Glucosamine sulphate iontophoresis did not raise plasma concentration of glucose.