Ibuprofen Has No Effect on Post-Weight Training Inflammation

Ibuprofen, widely used as a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), had no effect on post-weight training muscle soreness or markers of inflammation such as white blood cell count, creatine kinase or myoglobin, compared to a placebo (fake ibuprofen). Luke Vella from Deakin University in Australia gave test subjects (college-aged men) 1,200 milligrams of ibuprofen or placebo, following a lower-body workout designed to produce muscle soreness. The researchers measured soreness, as well as blood and muscle markers of inflammation, for 24 hours. We can infer from many recent studies that athletes should avoid NSAIDs during training because it interferes with cellular repair that increases muscle strength and size. This study showed that ibuprofen had no effect on inflammation, soreness or muscle pain, so the drug is of little value during the recovery from intense weight training. (Frontiers of Physiology, 7(article 86), 2016)