Advise from Dr. Mirkin - Triathlon Week

sfricks · 07-06-2006, 07:45 AM

This article picked up from drmirkin.com

Dear Dr. Mirkin: Will the nonsteroidal pain medicines help me
recover from a workout?

Lots of athletes and exercisers take ibuprofen, an over-
the-counter medication, and other nonsteroidals to ease pain in
their joints and muscles. A study from the University of Florida
(Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, May 2006) shows
that nonsteroidal drugs inhibit exercise-induced muscle growth
and strength.
Athletes train by taking a hard workout and damaging
their muscles. They feel sore on the next day and exercise at
reduced intensity until their muscles are healed. When they feel
no soreness, they take a hard workout again. When muscles
heal from the stress of a hard workout, they are larger and
stronger. Damaged muscles release a healing prostaglandin
called Cox-2, that causes muscle growth and increased strength.
Ibuprofen blocks Cox-2 and therefore will delay or inhibit muscle
growth. Pain medicines may make you feel better, but at the
cost of interfering with the strength gains you are working to
achieve.