I found a very interesting article about the harmful effects of painkillers in the New York Times. Especially now, where so many of you are training extremely hard for the climax of the year in Kona, the Ironman world championship, these research results maybe of interest for you and, may even be helpful for your preparations.
Painkillers as various study were able to prove are widely used in endurance athletes. Most of the athletes take drug like ibuprofen because they want to avoid pain during a competition. At all levels and in a wide variety of sports athletes swear by their painkillers. A study published earlier this month on the website of the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that, at the 2008 Ironman Triathlon in Brazil, almost 60 percent of the racers reported using non-steroidal anti-inflammatory painkillers (or NSAIDs, which include ibuprofen) at some point in the three months before the event, with almost half downing pills during the race itself. In another study, about 13 percent of participants in a 2002 marathon in New Zealand had popped NSAIDs before the race. A study of professional Italian soccer players found that 86 percent used anti-inflammatories during the 2002-2003 season.
Famous physiologist David Nieman published a study that showed the effect of ibuprofen on immunity and muscle recovery. Ibuprofen had a significant negative effect on both. And the worst of it, the painkiller did not even help to reduce pain during a race or decrease muscle soreness after it. David Nieman belongs to those scientists who first discovered the outstanding importance of a healthy immune system for athletes. Continue Reading →