Taking analgesics affects muscle mass building

Many men and women who lead an active lifestyle and regularly train in gyms often focus on building up their own muscle mass. Scientists representing the Carolina University in Stockholm have found that such people should avoid using painkillers, such as Ibuprofen. In the course of the latest study, experts came to the conclusion that the systematic use of inexpensive analgesics can lead to the inhibition of muscle growth. This is especially true for the muscle mass that is built up by lifting weights in gyms. Researchers have noticed that the most common medications with painkilling activity, which are widely used around the world, interfere with the recovery processes in muscle tissue. This, among other things, prevents muscle growth after exercise. "The information we have found allows us to warn many athletes and bodybuilders: if you are working out on strength training machines solely to increase your own muscle mass, then you are advised to avoid the systematic use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory and painkillers, especially in high doses," explains Professor Tommy Lundberg. "The results obtained are of interest to both athletes and their coaches and doctors: it is no secret that the use of such drugs is very popular - after all, they are affordable and effective." What did the Stockholm scientists study consist of? They initiated a kind of experiment, which involved volunteers of a wide age category - the youngest participant was 18 years old, and the oldest - 35 years old. The participants were divided into different groups. The first of them was offered to take Ibuprofen daily for two months. Volunteers from the second group took only a small amount of acetylsalicylic acid, but also every day. Throughout the experiment, the participants did strength training, primarily for the thigh muscles. As a result of the experiment, the specialists were able to find that after two months, the representatives of both groups were able to improve their muscle mass gain indicators. But the participants of the second group had twice as high indicators. The scientists noted that the painkiller only affected the muscle volume, but did not affect their strength and endurance. At the moment, it is unknown what exactly caused this result - the duration of taking the drug or its dosage. Therefore, the specialists are already preparing to conduct the next, larger-scale study to finally dot all the i's and draw an unmistakable conclusion of the experiment. Perhaps next time, scientists will use different drugs with clearly defined dosages.

[ 1 ], [ 2 ], [ 3 ], [ 4 ], [ 5 ], [ 6 ], [ 7 ], [ 8 ], [ 9 ]