Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug use and endurance during running in male long-distance runners.

CONTEXT: The effect of ibuprofen on pain tolerance during exercise is controversial, and its effects on endurance performance have been poorly investigated.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the effect of prophylactic administration of the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug ibuprofen on the time until the self-report of fatigue (tlim) in runners with exercise-induced muscle damage.

DESIGN

Randomized controlled clinical trial.

SETTING

Laboratory.

PATIENTS OR OTHER

PARTICIPANTS

Twenty healthy male long-distance runners (age = 18.8 ± 0.4 years, maximal oxygen consumption = 55.5 ± 5.9 mL·kg(-1)·min(-1)).

INTERVENTION(S): Participants were assigned to 2 groups (ibuprofen group = 10, placebo group = 10) to perform tlim trials (speed corresponded to their previously determined secondventilatory thresholds) 48 hours before and 48 hours after the induction of a lower limb muscle-damage protocol (isokinetic dynamometry). One hour before the second tlim trial, the ibuprofen group received 1.2 g ibuprofen, and the placebo group received lactose orally.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Time until self-reported fatigue, heart rate, respiratory quotient, oxygen consumption, and perceived exertion were recorded during each tlim test.

RESULTS

Both groups reported increases in muscle pain in the knee extensors and flexors 48 hours after the muscle-damage protocol. We observed a reduction in the endurance performance of both groups (P < .01) but no difference between groups (P = .55).

CONCLUSIONS

Ibuprofen did not reduce the effect of muscle damage and pain on performance. Prophylactic use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs did not have an ergogenic effect on running performance after exercise-induced muscle damage in male long-distance runners.