Is Ibuprofen A New Training Supplement?
Posted: Friday, July 17, 2009
by Tony Golden
Pernax
Why is Ibuprofen often recommended as a "therapy" for runners before, during and after training and race events? It is not a HEALING agent; instead it actually inhibits cox-1 and cox-2 enzymes which are necessary for normal healing of connective tissue!
Further, why is ice recommended as a therapy for a chronic condition it also is not a HEALING agent. After acute trauma ice may be warranted for up to 3-days (72 hours). After that it is of little use as the acute inflammation process generally ends after 72 hours.
Instead why not get to the root of the inflammation problem and figuring out WHY the runner or athlete is having the issues they are. Consider examining external variables like terrain, shoes, training regimen and internal variables such as form, orthotics, muscle weakness or imbalances, excessive pronation or difference in leg lengths (anatomical leg length inequality).
Here's an analogy you may want to try on for sizeif you were going to kick yourself in the butt again and again, causing pain and swelling, I would ask you this, "Do you plan on engaging in this activity over and over? If you said no then I would recommend 3-days of ice and Ibuprofen. If your answer was yes, then I would recommend that we either find you soft shoes, or stuff your shorts with Charming.
With running and other athletics it is imperative that you be able to continue to "kick your own butt over and over". Taking continuous Ibuprofen and icing just does not make any sense, although there are natural alternatives like Pernax (which actually down regulates inflammation vs. inhibiting cox-1 and cox-2 enzymes) and other Omega-3s. Although omega-3 fish oils are popular among baby boomers with osteoarthritis, many elite athletes have found that they speed the healing of overuse injuries. Soren Mavrogenis, the Copenhagen based physiotherapist for the Danish Olympic team, has for several years been recommending omega-3s to Olympians and other elite athletes, with great results.
Sidebar: Natural Anti-Inflammatory Supplements to Consider VS. NSAIDs: Omega-3 Essential Fatty Acids: EPA and DHA Found in fish oils are essential building blocks for the body's anti-inflammatory prostaglandins (e.g., prostaglandin E1) and for turning off the body's pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1, IL-6, and TNFa). In addition, omega-3 fatty acids block the activity of an enzyme that breaks down joint cartilage.
Coenzyme q-10 : CoQ10 is used by the body to transform food into adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the energy on which the body runs. CoQ10 is a powerful antioxidant that protects the body from free radicals. It helps preserve vitamin E and is the major antioxidant of cell membranes. CoQ10 also modulates immunity.
Vitamin E. Vitamin E helps regulate the increase in Cox-2 and prostaglandin E2 with aging. Vitamin E also turns off nuclear factor-kB (NF-kB) and activator protein-1 (AP-1) - compounds that turn on inflammatory genes. (Vitamin B complex, vitamin C and E worked synergistically to reduce inflammation)
Author: Tony Golden, Adventure Racer, Author, Fitness Publisher and Fitness Fanatic living and training in Park City Utah. Co-founder of www.pernax.com and http://lowflysweat.blogspot.com
Disclaimer: I am not a doctor - just a die-hard adventure racer and fitness fanatic who continually researches, and has had great success & miraculous results by implementing an anti-inflammatory diet and natural supplementation.
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Top-level comments on this article: (1 total)Great article. Well done.In many respects you are right. However, these will remain legal as they are not a steroid.
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