A Paradigm Shift in Endurance Athletes - stop masking the injury

Endurance athletes continually push their bodies to the limit, and in some circles those who can suffer most will be able to endure longer and have better results.  With high frequency and intense training this can lead to decreased recovery, pain and eventually injury.  To persevere, some athletes will pop NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory) such as Ibuprofen like candy.  In specific sports the prevalence of NSAID use among athletes has been reported as high as 90%. 

It is well established that NSAIDs can cause adverse gastrointestinal complications, like bleeding, ulceration, and perforation.  Studies have shown increased gastrointestinal injury also happens in endurance athletes.   By taking doses of oral NSAIDs well under the daily maximum limit before exercise, one study showed that these gastrointestinal injuries caused by endurance exercise are significantly exacerbated.  This was a small dose of just two tablets!  When you become reliant on these for symptom control, this negative effect would most likely increase.

It is still in question whether or not these injuries and subsequent increased permeability compromise the digestive and absorptive abilities of the intestines.  If this holds to be true, post-exercise recovery may be limited and therefore lead to further injury… thus the cycle continues.

It is important that athletes understand that symptoms are their body’s “check engine” light.  They are a change in your physiology in response to your behaviours (ie. Increased training load).   In most cases relying on NSAIDs during training is like putting your finger over the check engine light.  You can mask the problem but when your remove your finger the problem still remains, if not worse than before.

Many options are available to increase your body’s natural ability to heal itself.  Chiropractic care can encompass a wide variety of techniques that address the function of your body to allow it to return to its normal state of homeostasis, thus increasing healing.  All this can be done without putting you at risk for gastrointestinal injury. 

So next time you think about taking an NSAID to get through endurance training, consider what it is doing to your gastrointestinal system, lift your finger off the check engine light and address the problem naturally.

Until next time, stay healthy my friends!

Dr. Adam 

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Performance and recovery - effects of compression 

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