Taking painkillers like ibuprofen to prevent pain while exercising is a common practice today amongst athletes at many different levels of ability. A number of athletes believe the painkillers will improve their performance as it lessens pain. However, the practice might be hazardous, according to research just released that focused on the anti-inflammatory medication ibuprofen prior to and after workouts.
The authors of the study said that they had concluded that consumption of anti-inflammatory non-steroidal drugs by athletes can be harmful and should not be done.
The study found that ibuprofen aggravated injury that was exercise induced in the body’s small intestine in healthy men who trained in endurance workouts. Tow oral doses of the anti-inflammatory drug were used at night and the following morning prior to any exercise and cellular damage in the small intestine was noted.
In the study, nine men who were healthy and trained regularly were evaluated. The average age of the men was 27. The men typically trained 3 to 10 hours per week in endurance sports. They were assessed on four separate occasions to see the effect the ibuprofen had.
In the study, researchers studied the indicators of injury in the intestine following each of the four training sessions. Higher levels of the indicators were noted after the use of ibuprofen while exercising.
Ingesting ibuprofen prior to exercise, said the researchers, should be discouraged. One study said that close to 90% of athletes in triathlons and soccer use the painkiller.
