Men's Health

Main -> Question: Athletes who take NSAID's to prevent pain may be doing more harm than good

Alphabetical list:

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P R S T U V W X Y Q Z 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

News: December 17, 2009

Athletes who take NSAID's to prevent pain may be doing more harm than good

December 17, 2009

According to Stuart Warden, a researcher who studies musculoskeletal health and sports medicine, athletes who ritualistically take NSAID's to prevent post event and workout soreness and inflammation may be depriving the body of healing, in addition to risking other long term health problems. Taking anti inflammatory medications before running or other athletic events, is not recommended.. Warden suggests athletes weigh the risks of taking non steroidal anti inflammatory drugs (NSAID's) before challenging workouts.

Warden says using anti inflammatory medications prophylactically has no scientific basis. Indiscriminate use of NSAID's can deprive the body of healing ability, in addition to the ability to adapt to challenging workouts. non steroidal nti inflammatory medications can also lead to stomach ulcers and increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.

"I want people, including recreational athletes, to think about the perceived benefits versus potential risks of taking NSAIDs, and to ask themselves why they are taking these agents," said Warden. "They need to ask, 'Do the benefits outweigh the risks?"

Longer use and higher doses of NSAID's increase the risk of adverse health effects. Warden explains, "These agents are treatments for the symptoms of an injury, not the injury itself. They may allow an athlete to exercise or train at a certain level, but pain occurs for a reason. It is basically the body's mechanism of saying, 'Hang on, you've got some sort of injury that should not be ignored.'"

Warden warns, "But to take the drugs before every run and throughout the year is a concern. You need to think of pain not as a hindrance, but as a signal that something is not quite right. NSAIDs should not be used at the expense of a thorough assessment of an injury by a trained professional, such as a physical therapist or physician."

Anti inflammatory medications, (NSAID's) called COX2 inhibitors, block the production of prostaglanins that are that produce pain and inflammation, signaling the body that injury is present. Following acute injury, anti inflammatory medications ease pain and swelling, but Warden warns that athletes who use NSAID's in the absence of injury are setting themselves up for long term problems that might include risk of cardiovascular disease, kidney problems, and inability of the body to adapt to challenging workouts.

Archive issues: (50)

Archive list: 1 2 3 4 [5] 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17

December 2, 2009 | Fatty acids in diet affect ulcerative colitis risk

People who eat lots of red meat, cook with certain types of oil, and use some kinds of polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA)-heavy margarines may be increasing their risk of a painful inflammatory bowel disease, a study in more than 200,000 Europeans shows. These foods are high in linoleic acid and the study have found that people who were the ...

December 1, 2009 | Ecstasy Users at Higher Risk of Sleep Apnea

The widely used club drug ecstasy appears to increase the risk of sleep apnea, say U.S. researchers. "People who use ecstasy need to know that this drug damages the brain and can cause immediate and dangerous problems such as sleep apnea," study author Dr. Una McCann, of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore, said in a news ...

November 30, 2009 | Switching to Light Cigarettes Will Not help you Quit Smoking

The Center of Disease Control (CDC) says that there are 44 million American smokers and many of these smokers are looking for ways to quit. Some smokers in an attempt to kick the habit are switching to "light" or "ultra light" to help their battle against nicotine, however, a new study suggests switching to a lighter cigarerette does not help. A newly published study published in the November 2009 issue of Tobacco Control, analyzed survey data from about ...

Archive list: 1 2 3 4 [5] 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17

Chronic bacterial prostatitis - diagnosis

In chronic bacterial prostatitis there are bacteria in the prostate but usually no symptoms. The prostate infection is diagnosed by culturing urine as well as prostate fluid (expressed prostatic secretions or EPS) which are obtained by the doctor doing a rectal exam and putting pressure on the ...

Section: Prostatitis

Clinical Tests Used to Diagnose ED

Duplex ultrasound (Duplex ultrasound is used to evaluate blood flow, venous leak, signs of atherosclerosis, and scarring or calcification of erectile tissue. Injecting prostaglandin, a hormone-like stimulator produced in the body, induces erection. Ultrasound is then used to see vascular dilation ...

Section: Erectile Dysfunction

Alternative treatment methods

Numerous alternative therapies are used to improve sexual function. Some include: niacin, zinc, copper, Korean red ginseng root, ginkgo, pine bark, Tribulus terrestris, arginine, Avena sativa, horny goat weed, maca root, muira puama, saw palmetto, and Swedish flower pollen. None of these however have been recognized ...