Avoid NSAIDS and Icing Sore Muscles

[drtbear1967]

Avoid NSAIDS & Icing Sore Muscles

by TC Luoma

Without inflammation, wounds wouldn't heal... ever. Any illness might last for years. Even the muscle you strive to build might never get bigger or stronger if inflammation didn't exist. The whole battle that takes place after an injury or a tough workout is a tightly choreographed offensive designed to heal the body. The swelling that comes with inflammation allows the proteins, white blood cells and antibodies to come charging into the area. However, if you treat an injury with ice or NSAIDS (aspirin, Aleve, etc.), you thwart all that. You actually stop healing. So while icing or pain relievers might be okay for long-term chronic pain, think twice about using them to combat short-term pain.

Recommendations: • Don't ice after a workout. Icing doesn't heal anything; it's purely analgesic (pain reducing). • Don't use NSAIDS after a workout or minor injury, unless absolutely necessary. • To combat daily, non-exercise related inflammation and maximize chances of being healthy in general, avoid inflammatory practices (not getting enough sleep, boozing it up, using drugs, crappy diet), and take anti-inflammatory nutraceuticals like curcumin and/or concentrated fish oil. • To combat chronic inflammation or severe pain, use NSAIDS as recommended on the label or use up to two capsules curcumin twice a day, and/or 4-8 capsules of fish oil per day. • If you bust it up in the gym and drive inflammation up to deleterious levels, doing some light exercise the day after, e.g. walking, can reduce inflammation to non-damaging, muscle-building levels. • If busting it up in the gym day after day is your status quo, use peri-workout nutrition supplements. Inflammatory processes won't run amok, you won't be as sore, and you'll be able to tear it up in the gym day after day.

 

[BigZ]

From what I understand, Tylenol or acetaminophen is NOT an NSAID and does not relieve inflammation, but does obviously help with pain. Seems to me that it wouldn't have the same effect on muscle recovery as NSAIDs. There's an interesting study on the effect of ibuprofen and acetaminophen on older adults.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21160058

[h=1]Influence of acetaminophen and ibuprofen on skeletal muscle adaptations to resistance exercise in older adults.[/h]
[h=3]Abstract[/h]<abstracttext>Evidence suggests that consumption of over-the-counter cyclooxygenase (COX) inhibitors may interfere with the positive effects that resistance exercise training has on reversing sarcopenia in older adults. This study examined the influence of acetaminophen or ibuprofen consumption on muscle mass and strength during 12 wk of knee extensor progressive resistance exercise training in older adults. Thirty-six individuals were randomly assigned to one of three groups and consumed the COX-inhibiting drugs in double-blind placebo-controlled fashion: placebo (67 ± 2 yr; n = 12), acetaminophen (64 ± 1 yr; n = 11; 4 g/day), and ibuprofen (64 ± 1 yr; n = 13; 1.2 g/day). Compliance with the resistance training program (100%) and drug consumption (via digital video observation, 94%), and resistance training intensity were similar (P > 0.05) for all three groups. Drug consumption unexpectedly increased muscle volume (acetaminophen: 109 ± 14 cm(3), 12.5%; ibuprofen: 84 ± 10 cm(3), 10.9%) and muscle strength (acetaminophen: 19 ± 2 kg; ibuprofen: 19 ± 2 kg) to a greater extent (P < 0.05) than placebo (muscle volume: 69 ± 12 cm(3), 8.6%; muscle strength: 15 ± 2 kg), when controlling for initial muscle size and strength. Follow-up analysis of muscle biopsies taken from the vastus lateralis before and after training showed muscle protein content, muscle water content, and myosin heavy chain distribution were not influenced (P > 0.05) by drug consumption. Similarly, muscle content of the two known enzymes potentially targeted by the drugs, COX-1 and -2, was not influenced (P > 0.05) by drug consumption, although resistance training did result in a drug-independent increase in COX-1 (32 ± 8%; P < 0.05). Drug consumption did not influence the size of the nonresistance-trained hamstring muscles (P > 0.05). Over-the-counter doses of acetaminophen or ibuprofen, when consumed in combination with resistance training, do not inhibit and appear to enhance muscle hypertrophy and strength gains in older adults. The present findings coupled with previous short-term exercise studies provide convincing evidence that the COX pathway(s) are involved in the regulation of muscle protein turnover and muscle mass in humans.</abstracttext>

 

[drtbear1967]

Correct they are not considered NSAID. I try and not take anything if possible.

 

[BigZ]

Same here, I usually make myself suffer through most pain, but I will take Tylenol if I really can't stand it like severe DOMS in the legs.

 

[drtbear1967]

I do use DMSO when needed.

 

[trekrider215]

what do you guys think about synthetic opioid painkillers? Obviously, they're not recommended, but for the longest time I have been trying to find evidence or studies showing that they slow progress.

I've been training all of my life, and spent many years on a pretty hefty dose of different meds like hydroconde, oxycodone, and suboxone. There was a tremendous difference in my physique between when I was using them and when I wasn't. A lot of thought has gone into this, and I've gone through as many variables as possible. Diet being the same, same amount of sleep, AAS supplementation. The only thing I could think of is possibly a slightly diminished work capacity. I found information that says while you might actually get a performance boost at first due to an increase pain threshold, after you stay on the drugs for an extended period of time this pain threshold actually becomes much worse then baseline, therefore your ability to train with the same intensity would be inhibited.

I'm not convinced that the training is the reason though. I've heard a few people mention possibly a reduction in protein synthesis due to opioid painkillers, however I have not been able to find any scientific evidence. There has to be other muscle buiding pathways that are being inhibited.

Even though I took these medicines, that doesn't mean I wasn't extremely disciplined. I still basically lived bodybuilding 24/7. When I would come off of them I would notice immediate positive changes in my physique in just a matter of a week or so. There HAS to be something to it. Does anyone have any ideas or literature?

Also, I thought of something else. Opioids slow down digestion, therefore youre body simply can't process the same volume of food that it would normally. Makes me think there are valuable nutrients or protein or something that just aren't getting absorbed like they would normally. Constipation is inevitable which leads to water retention and a loss of aesthetics.

I still think there is sometype of pathway that is getting blocked or slowed down though. I'm talking it would get to the point where I felt like progress was being completely blocked no matter how perfect my daily routine was. If this shit was in my system there was no muscle building going on, even with AAS very little.

 

[drtbear1967]

I don't try to take anything if possible.

 

[pgb]

I don't try to take anything if possible.

i agree, i don't take anything if possible. in my case though i live with chronic pain,
so i use tylenol 3. it is really only useful if you take it before the pain starts, which
can be a little tricky in deciding to take it or not. usually i know when it will be
something of the nature that will cause me escalating pain levels. i don't use it for
workouts as a rule, and since i'm in pain constantly, it is mainly for just taking the
edge off when pain is high.
as far as synthetics, tried it once, tramodol, and i became so acidic, my urine actually
burned me. my wife takes it, and it burns me also if i don't shower shortly after being
with her. it also causes incredible relentless heartburn. gave me some breathing
problems, too.
and certainly, stay away from morphine and fentanyl.