Training & Nutrition - Ibuprofen prior to a ride: Good Idea or bad?

I have taken Ibuprofen a few times the day after a ride to loosen up a bit, but what about taking it prior to a ride? What if any affect would this have on comfort or performance?

I have taken Ibuprofen a few times the day after a ride to loosen up a bit, but what about taking it prior to a ride? What if any affect would this have on comfort or performance?

watch out if you have stomach problems like an ulcer as ibuprofen can aggravate these

Ibuprofen gives me the ****s. It bearable if I have an injury, becuase I'm not 20 miles away from my house needing to take a ****. but it is not advisable for use while riding. at least for me.

You are taking ibuprofen to "loosen up a bit," but not for actual pain? Couldn't you just stretch before and after for 15 mintues?

I take Aleve before a ride for tendonitis problems in my shoulders and it hasn't hurt my ability at all. I'm just more comfortable longer, that's all. Eventually the shoulder starts aching, but by then I'm close to the end of the ride. Try the ibuprofin. If it doesn't give you any problems, go for it.

You may want to read this article: Ibuprofen and Acetaminophen May Short-Circuit Muscle Growth. (http://revampscripts.com/cgi-chartcom/nheadlines.pl?board_number=3926&message=96666666702&returnpage=1)

I'm no expert, but a quick google search turned up several reports/studies on the subject.

Ibuprofen (and acetominophen) is associated with hypertension, and in some folks the association is very high. Just keep that in mind. In the epic nurses study, it was found to be causative for hypertension, as well as increasing hypertension.


For example, women who took NSAIDs for 22 or more days per month increased their risk by 86 percent. Those who used acetaminophen as regularly were twice as likely to develop high blood pressure.
Her is one of MANY cites:

http://www.news.harvard.edu/gazette/2002/10.31/18-painkillers.html

I know people who take Vitamin I before a ride. I myself am currently taking a maintenance NSAID. The main reason I can think of against taking Ibuprofen before riding is this: it might mask pain and keep you from noticing that you are injuring yourself.

If you don't need it, the wisest course is probably not to take it.

A lot of my team (including me) in high school used to take Ibuprofin before soccer games, as most of us were still sore or injured from practice. It definitely helps ease pain, and is probably a fine drug for the occasional need. I highly recommend not getting in the habbit of using it consistently, though, as it causes severe stomach issues, not just aggravating them. I have a friend that used it a lot and her cancer has often been attributed to the Ibuprofin she kept taking as a gymnast. There are other, more natural ways to help ease pain in your body, like marijuana or meditation.

I know people who take Vitamin I before a ride. I myself am currently taking a maintenance NSAID. The main reason I can think of against taking Ibuprofen before riding is this: it might mask pain and keep you from noticing that you are injuring yourself.

If you don't need it, the wisest course is probably not to take it.

Ibuprofen doesn't "mask" the pain. it is a non-steroid anti-inflammitory drug. It control inflammation, the cause of the pain. so bascially, advil is there to stop the cause, not the symptoms.

You may want to read this article: Ibuprofen and Acetaminophen May Short-Circuit Muscle Growth. (http://revampscripts.com/cgi-chartcom/nheadlines.pl?board_number=3926&message=96666666702&returnpage=1)

I'm no expert, but a quick google search turned up several reports/studies on the subject.



It was a poorly designed study. It proved you may suppress protein growth if you overload with a large amount by taking it around the clock, not used pregame or workout singularly as most athletes do. If used in the manner asked, one ibuprofen before a ride, I'll bet it does not prevent protien synthesis and this is basing it on its reversible inhibition of cyclooxygenase and its short half life.

Besides, the sample size ( less than 30 subjects,) they prescribed an around the clock regimine of the ibuprofen or tylenol. (Every 6-8 hours). For the ibuprofen, it was equivalent to taking 4 over the counter ibuprofen every eight hours. It may prevent protein synthesis if given at high doses around the clock. However, if one takes one iburprophen before a ride, with a very short half life and plasma levels are almost non existant within 4 hours; by the time you have started recovering from the ride, the ibuprophen has been eliminated and the cyclooxygenase becomes uninhibited and you will probably start the protein synthesis again (especially since most of it occurs during sleep with the growth hormone release). Thus, this study artificially suppresed the natural protein synthesis that takes place nocturnally by having the experimental subjects take it in the late evening. A better designed study would be to compare it to a singular dose (the way most athletes take it) and compare the two different groups.

But I would not take the NSAIds on a daily basis for the other reasons stated, (hypertensive response and possible stomach ulcers ) if you are prone. However, just know that those who take NSAIDs every day have a very low to no risk of developing colon cancer ( the second most common cancer in the US) :D

However, if one takes one iburprophen before a ride, with a very short half life and plasma levels are almost non existant within 4 hours; by the time you have started recovering from the ride, the ibuprophen has been eliminated and the cyclooxygenase becomes uninhibited and you will probably start the protein synthesis again (especially since most of it occurs during sleep with the growth hormone release).
Current thinking is that getting some protein is beneficial during hard workouts and endurance rides, i.e. "delays fatigue and improves endurance." I wonder if ibuprofen, acetominephen (sp?), and I'd assume aspirin and naproxen as well, would interfere with the benefits of eating protein during exercise?

Current thinking is that getting some protein is beneficial during hard workouts and endurance rides, i.e. "delays fatigue and improves endurance." I wonder if ibuprofen, acetominephen (sp?), and I'd assume aspirin and naproxen as well, would interfere with the benefits of eating protein during exercise?


I would think, unless we are actively protein building during the ride or workout, no.

But then, I don't think studies have been done.

I'm not as current on the studies associated with getting protien during a hard workout, unlike the nutritionists, but I was always under the impression the protien intake is another form of "fuel" and that we are less likely to go to protein catabolism once glycogen reserve is depleted in the liver as our body transitions to fat catabolism during these long hard workouts if we have some protien on board. But, I may be wrong.

This has been my own experience with Ibuprofen/Asprin before workouts. For me it seems to reduce the amount of soreness I feel later. If I plan on lifting alot of weights or doing some hill repeats (running) I might take Ibuprofen before a workout. It only seems to help with workouts lasting an hour or less. I derive little or no benefit from this during longer workouts. As an aside it also seems to help with dental pain if you take Ibuprofen *before* seeing the dentist, strange but true.

As a general rule I would recommend avoiding Ibuprofen, asprin, etc before and during workouts because I believe that you really should pay attention to pain, things hurt for a reason. This is especially true if you are hurting *before* the workout starts. Using drugs to mask ordinary pain only allows you to injure yourself to a greater degree.


Dan

Ibuprofen doesn't "mask" the pain. it is a non-steroid anti-inflammitory drug. It control inflammation, the cause of the pain. so bascially, advil is there to stop the cause, not the symptoms.


If the cause of your pain is your workout, the advil only allows you to work when you really should rest.

Dan

If the cause of your pain is your workout, the advil only allows you to work when you really should rest.

Dan


Thats exactly my thought about the matter. Why should you need to be taking some sort of pain medicine to exercise? I worry that when i do have soreness and I take some sort of medi for it that i may cause more injury than what i previously had simply because i have "supressed" the original cause and wasnt getting good feedback from my body about what i was currently doing...

I dont know, maybe i am just more anti medicine than most. I dont usually take anything for a headache or a muscle ache... :shrug:

I'll take IB if my muscles are a bit sore, or if I have a bit of a sore back. It's good to carry with you as well, just in case you hurt yourself and have to get home. Incidentally we don't get Aleve in Canada.

I prefer to take a couple Oxycontin before a ride. Masks the pain much more effectively.

ibuprofen (and all other NSAIDS) taken while dehydrated can cause kidney failure.

I prefer to take a couple Oxycontin before a ride. Masks the pain much more effectively.
:lol: :lol: :lol:

I have always found that it dehydrates me a little bit more if I take it before a workout. Learned this the hard way in football practice in college one day.

I also know a guy that developed severe kidney problems because he took too much of the stuff.