Is your NSAID Doing More Harm Than Good for Recovery?
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs) are on the shelves of grocery stores, gas stations, and probably tucked away in your medicine cabinet. And you have probably used NSAIDs for many ailments. Have a headache? Take an Aleve. Feeling a bit sore? Take a Tylenol. Legs not recovering fast enough? Pop an Advil.
Although it may seem pretty benign, taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can have an impact on muscle healing and can actually impede regeneration. Many athletes believe that anti-inflammatory drugs can better help our bodies to reduce inflammation after a hard workout, race, or when a little niggle pops up. However, that ibuprofen can actually decrease or completely cancel out the benefits of training and inflammation. Evidence suggests that NSAIDs can delay healing because of the effect that these drugs have on the inflammatory process.
For most of the population, the connotation of inflammation automatically yields negative thoughts. However, the process of inflammation with injuries and illness yields an increase in white blood cells to fight infections and foreign organisms.
When you workout, microscopic damage to the muscle fibers ensues. The inflammation process works to promote training adaptations, including satellite cell proliferation, which allows for muscle gains and stronger muscle fibers. With more inflammation, the body can adapt better and become more resistant to subsequent damage in the future, allowing for greater training gains.
So what happens when you take a NSAID post-workout to help reduce inflammation? The British Journal of Sports Medicine says, “Evidence suggests that NSAIDs may impede regeneration and increase fibrosis during muscle healing, and hence should be considered relatively contraindicated in muscle strain injuries.” As a result, when taking NSAIDs to help the body heal, you could actually be doing more damage to muscles than good.
Looking for other ways to decrease muscle strain after a workout naturally instead of popping a pill? Consider using the Marc Pro to flush waste out of the body, and allow for nutrients to return to aid in the ultimate recovery. Learn more about how the Marc Pro works at: https://marcpro.com/recovery-perfected/.