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Anti-Inflammatory Drugs and Climbing
Performance
What You Need to Know to Maximize recovery
Climbers have been using nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
(NSAID's) to help push their limits for years. While some
climbers vehemently resist the use of anti-inflammatory drugs,
others insist that the benefit of reducing inflammation puts
them back in the harness sooner and maximizes the training
benefits of frequent climbing.
Side Effects
The most common non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are
aspirin, naproxen sodium (Aleve) and ibuprofen. They all elicit
some anti-inflammatory response. This anti-inflammatory quality
brings a couple of benefits and at least one notable side
effect. NSAID’s prevent the body from producing prostaglandins.
Prostaglandins are substances that the body produces naturally
that act as mediators for a number of different physiological
functions. Prostaglandins help protect the stomach lining,
regulate blood pressure as well as mediate pain and
inflammation. All NSAID's block all prostaglandins (the amount
of blockage depends upon the dose). As a result, taking
nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can sometimes cause
stomach upset and, in extreme cases, bleeding in the stomach.
Most times, with moderate use of NSAID’s no problems arise.
With long-term use, the potential for stomach irritation or
bleeding increases.
The Benefits
The beneficial side of using drugs such as aspirin or Advil can
be dramatic at times. Climbers have reported being able to
climb many days in succession with good recovery after shorter
rests. The question is why that would be. A number of answers
have been given.
The first one is the analgesic effect… That is; the pain relief
of the drugs makes it possible to return to difficult climbing
more quickly. If this is the primary reason that people are
returning to climbing sooner, the drug should be
abandoned. Minor pain relief is insignificant in the
picture of what a climber must tolerate to climb
hard.
A more likely reason deals with some little known physiological
realities. When an athlete's body is pushed to the limits, a
number of internal reactions occur. In order to deal with the
many micro traumas that occurred in muscles, tendons and
joints, the body releases histamines and sterols. These
physio-chemicals and hormones go to work in the body to clean
up the debris and get swelling under control. If the level of
physical activity is severe enough, these reactions can last
for many days. Until those chemicals reduce their concentration
in the blood, muscle rebuilding testosterone is not released in
significant amounts. Enter the drugs: If the
inflammation in the body is reduced more quickly through the
use of anti-inflammatory drugs, testosterone can be
released sooner and recovery occurs in a relatively short
period of time. Low testosterone equals slow recovery.
How much is enough?
Suggestions abound as
to what's the most effective way to use anti-inflammatories
without side effects. Perhaps the only way to determine what
the right dose is, is by experimentation. A good guideline is
to start out with the minimum dose possible. From there, people
need to use their best judgment under the direction of a
qualified medical professional. One doctor suggested that
rather than taking a large dose of ibuprofen at one time, that
taking one 200 mg dose of ibuprofen every hour to two hours for
six to 8 hours immediately following a hard workout or day of
climbing is more effective and gentler on the body. This is not
medical advice, but it may be something that's worthwhile to
consult with your doctor about.
Before or after?
Aspirin and ibuprofen cause some thinning of the blood. This
property has resulted in the misconception that some climbers
have that they can increase their circulation by this thinning
of the blood. So they take a couple Advil before climbing in
hopes that it will have some performance benefits. This is a
fallacy. The only way to increase circulation is by improving
the pump… your heart. Another misconception among climbers is
the thinking that by taking a few pre-workout
anti-inflammatories, they can raise their pain threshold. Not
true. This category of analgesics is designed for pain relief
caused by inflammation and pre-existing injury. If you are
taking pain relievers to increase your pain threshold in
anticipation of knuckle crushing finger-locks, you’re wasting
your money and adding unnecessary chemicals to your body.
Anti-inflammatory Food?
Good nutrition can affect the speed of recovery after hard
training and long days of climbing. Authorities in the natural
health field have stated that numerous foods have
anti-inflammatory qualities that may be able to accelerate
recovery from training and athletic injuries. It has been
suggested that the following foods have anti-inflammatory
qualities. Salmon, tuna, nuts, eggplant, garlic, celery,
ginger, curry powder, grapes, blueberries, strawberries,
oranges, olive oil, and kiwi fruit, as well as foods rich in
vitamin E and C.
Finally, there is one anti-inflammatory that none of us can do
without. Water. Without adequate hydration, injuries of all
sorts will come on quickly and with less intensive exercise
than would normally have been necessary to cause problems.
We've all heard the axiom about needing to drink 8 cups water a
day. How much of that to drink is up to the individudal, but
just remember that you'll never see a dehydrated athlete
perform well at anything.
Do the right thing. Train hard, but not too hard. Rest when you
need to, eat well, stay hydrated and you should be cranking as
hard as possible with a minimal need for anti-inflammatory or
any other type of drug to get you through to the next
climb.
***Nothing in this article should
be considered medical device. Consult with your physician or
competent health care professional regarding anything that
you've read here prior to taking any course of medication or
intervention.
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