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Anti-inflammator y Drugs—How They Work and Cause Harm

Many endurance athletes take various types of painkillers and other drugs, especially non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs—NSAIDs—in hopes of improving their competitiveness, while alleviating chronic aches and pains. Unfortunately, these drugs most often cause more stress on the whole body. Controlling pain and inflammation is instead best accomplished by eating adequate amounts of healthy fats and maintaining their proper balance.

Anti-inflammatory drugs work as follows : In the conversion of A, B, and C fats to eicosanoids, an important enzyme called cyclooxygenase, or COX, is required. There are actually two COX enzymes, and many people are familiar with the term “COX-2 inhibitors.” These are drugs that attempt to inhibit these enzymes. Aspirin and all other NSAIDs, including ibuprofen and Naprosyn, temporarily block the COX enzyme, so much less of the inflammatory series 2 eicosanoids are formed. While this reduces the inflammatory group 2 eicosanoids, these drugs can also eliminate groups 1 and 3, along with their beneficial properties. This may result in an improvement of symptoms, but it also turns off the important anti-inflammatory mechanism. In addition, the cause of the problem—fat imbalance—goes untreated. Most importantly, if aspirin or other NSAIDs makes you feel better, it usually indicates that your fats are not balanced.

Here’s how these non-steroidal drugs cause the body harm:

 

 

They slow the process of recovery and repair.They cause gut problems, including bleeding, in almost everyone taking them (even if it’s not noticeable).They can cause muscle dysfunction and don’t necessarily reduce muscle pain associated with training and competition.They can reduce the body’s ability to repair joint and bone stress.They can cause kidney damage, especially when you’re dehydrated.They can disturb sleep.They may not necessarily reduce inflammation.They cause immune system stress.They can actually contribute to injuries.

The ABCs of Fat: A Summary

Other issues regarding pain are discussed later in the book, but controlling pain is one of the common reasons why athletes take NSAIDs and other drugs—but as noted, NSAIDs don’t always control the pain of training and competition very well. Controlling pain and inflammation is best accomplished by eating adequate amounts of healthy fats and maintaining their proper balance.