From Solvent's Shadow to Sunday Long Runs: The Quiet Rise of MSM

The sulfur that wouldn't shout

If you were around the Oregon labs in the 1960s, you'd have seen physicians puzzling over dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO): a wood-pulp solvent that slid through skin like water through silk. The headlines were loud, the controversies louder. But in DMSO's shadow was a gentler oxidized relative—methylsulfonylmethane, or MSM—odorless, better tolerated, and destined for supplement aisles rather than operating rooms. Chemist Robert Herschler and surgeon Stanley Jacob explored this quieter molecule, wondering if some of DMSO's promise arrived via its metabolite, DMSO2—MSM. Jacob would later champion it unabashedly. "I really believe there is nothing out there..that compares to DMSO and its metabolite DMSO2," he said in a patient forum—history's enthusiasm on the record even if modern proof would take its time. ^[11]

What does MSM actually do?

Strip away the acronyms and MSM's story is about cooling a biological fire and shoring up cellular defenses. Laboratory and early human data suggest it helps dial down the body's alarm signals for inflammation and tempers the sparks of oxidative stress—the kind of chemical "rust" that builds after heavy use or injury. Think of it less as a fire extinguisher and more as a fire marshal: reducing the number of alarms pulled while making sure responders show up where needed. A 2017 scientific review translates the gist: MSM seems to reduce the production of pro-inflammatory messengers and support the body's antioxidant systems; the exact levers are still being mapped. ^[9]

Knees, miles, and the difference between statistics and mornings

For joint pain, the most careful trials read like small but steady steps. In a double-blind study of older adults with knee osteoarthritis, 12 weeks of MSM led to improvements in pain and physical function—the authors called them "small," and candidly questioned whether they met the bar for clinical significance. ^[2] An earlier pilot trial using 3 grams twice daily also found reduced pain and better daily function over four weeks, again without major side effects. ^[3] Pair MSM with glucosamine and the plot thickens: in a 118-person trial, each helped on its own, but together they trimmed pain and swelling more than either alone, with benefits accruing over 12 weeks. ^[4] That combo echoes what many people try in real life—stacking gentler tools to move the needle rather than expecting a single, dramatic fix. Outside the clinic, endurance athletes have chased a different outcome: finishing a long race and actually wanting stairs the next day. In a randomized trial around the Portland Half-Marathon, runners who preloaded MSM for three weeks didn't budge laboratory markers of muscle damage, yet they reported clinically meaningful reductions in muscle and joint soreness after the race. Translation: MSM didn't change the bloodwork, but the body felt the difference. ^[5]

Allergies and the surprising nose story

MSM's most unexpected detour might be through spring pollen. In an open-label, multi-center trial of people with seasonal allergic rhinitis, 2.6 g/day improved upper and lower respiratory symptoms within a week and boosted self-reported energy by week two. ^[6] Later, a randomized exploratory study used a standardized allergen challenge and found daily MSM—especially at 3 g/day—reduced congestion, sneezing, and itchy, watery eyes while objectively opening nasal airflow. The authors' summation was plain: MSM "provided significant relief of allergic rhinitis symptoms..without the occurrence of adverse events." ^[7]

Skin, from the inside out

The skin tale is as much architecture as chemistry. Keratin—the scaffolding of hair, skin, and nails—leans on sulfur. In a 16-week, placebo-controlled trial, oral MSM (1–3 g/day) reduced facial wrinkle count and severity and improved skin firmness, elasticity, and hydration; the lower dose often sufficed. ^[8] No miracles—just an incremental refurbishing that matched the timeframe of collagen turnover rather than the rhetoric of overnight fixes.

A measured chorus of experts

Government scientists are frank: "Very little research has been done on DMSO and MSM, so it's uncertain whether they're helpful for OA symptoms." ^[1] Clinicians writing up the 12-week knee trial were equally careful: "These improvements, however, are small and it is yet to be determined if they are of clinical significance." ^[2] And yet, the allergy team's language—"significant relief..without adverse events"—reminds us that different tissues may tell different stories. ^[7]

Safety, quality, and the long game

On safety, MSM reached a regulatory milestone: the U.S. FDA issued a "no questions" letter to its Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) notice, allowing it in certain foods—an endorsement of safety, not of medical efficacy. ^[10] MedlinePlus, which synthesizes the Natural Medicines database, currently rates MSM as "possibly effective" for osteoarthritis symptom relief and "possibly safe" for up to six months by mouth, with occasional GI upset. ^[12] Because supplements live outside drug-level standardization, purity matters. Look for brands that publish third-party testing or use standardized raw materials. MSM's benefits appear to build with steady use—more crockpot than microwave—so consistency over weeks is key in trials that showed effects. For joints and skin, change typically emerged by 8–12 weeks; for seasonal allergies, the earliest signals appeared within 7–14 days. ^{[2][3][4][6][8]}

Why might it work across such different fronts?

Inflammation and oxidative stress are not single switches—they are traffic systems. In joints, they amplify pain; in muscles, they color how tissues recover from strain; in nasal passages, they swell shut like over-zealous bouncers at the door. MSM appears to down the overall volume and help the system respond proportionally, rather than with a blanket overreaction. That coherence—one mechanism, many tissues—isn't proof, but it's a plausible through-line supported by a growing, still modest body of trials. ^[9][5]

Practical ways readers are using it

• For knee osteoarthritis: 2–3.4 g/day, divided, for at least 12 weeks, sometimes paired with glucosamine to nudge effect size. ^[2][4][12]

• For endurance training: preload 3 g/day for 2–3 weeks before an event to target perceived soreness, not lab markers. ^[5]

• For seasonal allergies: 2.6–3 g/day for 2–4 weeks spanning peak allergen exposure. ^[6][7]

• For skin appearance: 1–3 g/day for 12–16 weeks. ^[8]

Two cautions specific to MSM are worth noting. First, topical MSM used alone in people with chronic venous insufficiency has worsened leg swelling in reports—avoid that route if you have vein disease. ^[12] Second, if you take anticoagulants (like warfarin), discuss MSM with your clinician because of potential interactions flagged by clinical references. ^[12]

Where the story goes next

The frontier now is precision—who benefits most, at what dose, and through which immune and repair pathways. Newer work is probing MSM's effects on post-exercise immune signaling and muscle repair dynamics, hinting that even lower daily doses might fine-tune recovery genes without blunting healthy training adaptations. ^[5][9] History gave MSM a dramatic origin story. Evidence has given it something subtler: a place at the table when the goal is to feel a little better, move a little easier, and let physiology heat without burning. That may be quiet work—but for many, quiet is exactly the point.

^[1]: NCCIH, Osteoarthritis: In Depth—section on DMSO and MSM.

^[2]: 12-week randomized trial of MSM for knee osteoarthritis (BMC Complement Altern Med, 2011).

^[3]: 4-week pilot randomized trial of MSM for knee osteoarthritis (2006).

^[4]: Randomized trial of glucosamine, MSM, and the combination (2007).

^[5]: Half-marathon randomized trial assessing soreness and oxidative stress (JISSN, 2017).

^[6]: Open-label, multicenter seasonal allergy trial (2002).

^[7]: Randomized exploratory allergen-challenge study (JMIR Res Protoc, 2018).

^[8]: Double-blind trial of oral MSM for skin aging (2020).

^[9]: 2017 review of MSM mechanisms and safety (Nutrients).

^[10]: FDA GRAS letter for MSM (GRN 229).

^[11]: Stanley Jacob, M.D., IC Network transcript (2000).

^[12]: MedlinePlus MSM monograph (effectiveness and safety).