Anti Inflammatories Bad For Gains?

[nothuman]

i think almost everyone takes nsaids

Only when sick. NSAIDs are bad news to take on a regular basis. Better to find safer options.

 

[TrippplePPP]

I often wonder if NSAIDs truly negate any appreciable muscle gains? I think of people like Tom Prince who used and abused NSAIDS yet still was as gigantic as you can get. I have worked in ortho/spine clinics since college and everyone taking high dose NSAIDs still makes gains in physical therapy just the same as the next guy taking nothing. So is the difference to the average man that great? Probably not. Add in most here take some sort of ergogenic aid and eats for gains along with proper training so the average person on this site will likely not notice any difference in gains as a generic answer.

I think sporadic use to squelch minor flares and heavy short blasts no more than recommended max dose for short periods of time is not going to hinder much. I question why you would be worried about gains if you are in enough pain to warrant any dose of NSAID that would hinder gains to begin with. Like address your injury before consider to progress forward with gains.

OP, I would address your spine issue and let yourself recover before trying to push yourself in the gym. Its ok to take NSAIDs like Naproxen up to like 1000mg a day for short periods. But try to address the biomechanical issues as goal number one. Once you feel better and your spine is more protected you reduce NSAID use and combine your physical therapy exercises with your bodybuilding routine slowly until you are back before yet have more insight to what created your injury to begin with.

 

[KillerStack]

I often wonder if NSAIDs truly negate any appreciable muscle gains? I think of people like Tom Prince who used and abused NSAIDS yet still was as gigantic as you can get. I have worked in ortho/spine clinics since college and everyone taking high dose NSAIDs still makes gains in physical therapy just the same as the next guy taking nothing. So is the difference to the average man that great? Probably not. Add in most here take some sort of ergogenic aid and eats for gains along with proper training so the average person on this site will likely not notice any difference in gains as a generic answer.

I think sporadic use to squelch minor flares and heavy short blasts no more than recommended max dose for short periods of time is not going to hinder much. I question why you would be worried about gains if you are in enough pain to warrant any dose of NSAID that would hinder gains to begin with. Like address your injury before consider to progress forward with gains.

OP, I would address your spine issue and let yourself recover before trying to push yourself in the gym. Its ok to take NSAIDs like Naproxen up to like 1000mg a day for short periods. But try to address the biomechanical issues as goal number one. Once you feel better and your spine is more protected you reduce NSAID use and combine your physical therapy exercises with your bodybuilding routine slowly until you are back before yet have more insight to what created your injury to begin with.

If they keep you training then they are pro-anabolic at least haha. This is what some suspect happened in the studies where apparently Ibuprofen was anabolic. These were elderly patients iirc. Probably the Ibuprofen let them actually train or train "harder."

It appears as though many athletes live on NSAIDS. My friend has been on diklofenac for 30 years straight. I was curious to see his BW. Now at 56 liver and kidney markers were "perfect." I guess good tolerance genetically.

 

[TrippplePPP]

If they keep you training then they are pro-anabolic at least haha. This is what some suspect happened in the studies where apparently Ibuprofen was anabolic. These were elderly patients iirc. Probably the Ibuprofen let them actually train or train "harder."

It appears as though many athletes live on NSAIDS. My friend has been on diklofenac for 30 years straight. I was curious to see his BW. Now at 56 liver and kidney markers were "perfect." I guess good tolerance genetically.

That's kind of my thoughts too. I think the posters above who say spend money on anabolic instead are young and don't understand how a body ages. I am at a point in which I could give up and let all my pains rest and heal on their own or take ibuprofen a couple times here and there and get my next training session in.

Plenty of people take those long acting NSAIDs daily for various reasons and do not suffer any consequence. Not to say there are none but if you could get by using them without any repercussion then what is the difference.

 

[stackdizzy]

Only when sick. NSAIDs are bad news to take on a regular basis. Better to find safer options.

Like what do you take besides nsaids. I actually can't take nsaids as they interact with blood thinners so I would be curious if you got anything I might not know about?

 

[Hyper-T]

If a doctor prescribes you Naproxen I wouldn’t fill it… It’s just Aleve. Get you 200 for $5 at the drug store.

I take Ibuprofen daily at 800mg. I have for years. I take sporadic days off here and there if my pain isn’t too bad.

I do self bloodwork plus bi-annual doctor ordered bloodwork; all markers in check. I never saw any negative impacts on muscle gains either.

Cage

Be careful, ibuprofen greatly increases risk of heart attack and stroke as we age.

 

[Hyper-T]

Performance studies have shown slowed muscle repair and reduced adaptation because nsaids reduce prostaglandins. However one study was done that showed high dose over a long time the body starts to unregulated prostaglandin production, which helps explain why many athletes can take ibuprofen everyday and still get huge and strong. However the kidney risk and heart attack and stroke risk are also real. Many do just fine for 30yrs, but others don't.

 

[Hyper-T]

Sorry, upregulate- increase, not unregulate

 

[cage99]

Be careful, ibuprofen greatly increases risk of heart attack and stroke as we age.

Thank you. I’m well aware of the risks associated with long term NSAID usage. However, to live this lifestyle & to make a life of pain a smidge better it’s necessary.

Cage

 

[FartJohnson]

Like what do you take besides nsaids. I actually can't take nsaids as they interact with blood thinners so I would be curious if you got anything I might not know about?

Tylenol is the only other OTC option. Beyond that, there’s the usual non pharmaceutical stuff like ice/heat, menthol balms, stuff like that. Some folks have good luck with medicinal cannabis or “medicinal” kratom

 

[nothuman]

Like what do you take besides nsaids. I actually can't take nsaids as they interact with blood thinners so I would be curious if you got anything I might not know about?

For what purpose, pain? I am not in much pain so I don’t really look for alternatives.

I take some supplements that could be helping and my diet is pretty anti inflammatory.

 

[jcc80]

Tylenol is the only other OTC option. Beyond that, there’s the usual non pharmaceutical stuff like ice/heat, menthol balms, stuff like that. Some folks have good luck with medicinal cannabis or “medicinal” kratom

Yup. Kratom here for my degenerative discs, stenosis, scoliosis, and a couple little fractures. Sucks, but not enough for them to open me up.

I seem to have found a sweet spot of curcumin, nigella sativa extract, bpc157, gh (don't know if that's helping or not), and very low dose kratom (few grams a day).

As long as I'm not on my feet too long, it's manageable. Gotta take a meloxicam and use some CBG and ice on days that I'm barbecuing and on my feet.

 

[stackdizzy]

Tylenol is the only other OTC option. Beyond that, there’s the usual non pharmaceutical stuff like ice/heat, menthol balms, stuff like that. Some folks have good luck with medicinal cannabis or “medicinal” kratom

Yea Tylenol is just so week its almost not ven worth taking but I still do. Also take Kratom at least once a day.