This may seem like a stupid question.
About three hours into a long run I'm thinking about ibuprofin to take the edge off the discomfort of my ankles and/or feet (granted my shoes are old). My longest distance took 20 hours and I took about 3 or 4. As I'm coming up for my first 100 miler, I'm wondering if I should be gutting it out for my long runs and intentionally feeling the pain so that I can better train myself to ignore it. I guess my logic is that over that distance I'm going to max out on the recommended dosage of ibuprofin.
Tim
Not a good idea to take Ibuprofen or any other NSAID for endurance athletes. Many great studies out there warning against their usage.
http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/medicationanddrugs/a/NSAID_endurance.htm
“Paralysis-to-50k” training plan is underway!
Don't do it. If you must use tylenol.
I agree with AT-runner. Most articles now strongly discourage the use of ibuprofen as it masks the pain and could lead to worse injuries. It's not about comfort vs non-comfort, it's about safety and preventing serious injury.
Faster Than Your Couch!
Acetaminophen and ibuprofen both are tough on the kidneys during endurance events, especially when the runner is dehydrated. They may also lead to intestinal bleeding.
I have never taken any pills during a run. My idea is, if my mind can't block out the discomfort, then my body is telling me it's pain, and this might be a signal that I'm overdoing it. If I were you, I'd try to get used to the level of discomfort in training runs, and perhaps, if it must be, save the pain pill option for the last stages of the race.
Run for fun.
Erik Skaggs almost died after using too much Tylenol or Ibuprofin during a race.
Be very careful.
"The best day is today, even if it's kind of a sucky day." - Lazarus Lake
Eh, do what you feel is the right thing. If you have concerns talk to a doctor. Ask a community board and you'll get responses from people who, while they may be well meaning, are no more more of an expert than you are.
Everyone has an opinion. I've taken Ibu during long races and I have completed long races without it.
GreyBeard
Most advise Tylenol is okay - at Leadville the physician advised this for pain in lieu of NSAIDs. It's not hard on the kidneys.
I've steered clear of NSAIDs but many many ppl including elites still use.
2020
Occasional Runner
Most advise Tylenol is okay - at Leadville the physician advised this for pain in lieu of NSAIDs. It's not hard on the kidneys. I've steered clear of NSAIDs but many many ppl including elites still use.
That same doctor has also said to alternate between ibuprofen and tylenol. He has also minimized the hype surrounding the use of NSAIDs during endurance sports.
I have used ibuprofen heavily in several 100 milers. If I need it, I use it. If I don't need it, I leave it in the bottle. But you can be assured I WILL have a bottle of it in my race bag.
Aussie girl - there's some evidence that it doesn't even work as a preventative medicine. Taking it before something hurts, apparently, doesn't help with pain.
Here you go:
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0889159106000328
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S088915910500053X
I'll eat one if I have menstrual cramps or a migraine. It DOES work on those.
I've been patiently waiting for someone to say 'don't worry about it, just take it if you need it', so now I have that!
I thought the pain was swelling, which tylenol doesn't touch, but what do I know?
I'm not referring to anything preventative, I typically tell myself that if I make it to the next aid station then I can have a single ibuprofin, and I have success which is why I'm a fan. Other times I get myself there by thinking about the coke they have. I never take more than the recommended dose.
I will switch to tylenol. Thanks for the advice everyone, I'm not ignoring those that say not to take anything, I'm just too much of a sissy to run 100 miles without anything, I certainly couldn't have survived my 100k without it. I don't know how you do it.
That same doctor has also said to alternate between ibuprofen and tylenol. He has also minimized the hype surrounding the use of NSAIDs during endurance sports. I have used ibuprofen heavily in several 100 milers. If I need it, I use it. If I don't need it, I leave it in the bottle. But you can be assured I WILL have a bottle of it in my race bag.
I always have with me. Tylenol has been working as necessary.
Regarding effectiveness - when I took it a couple years ago during Leadville it was good - just lessened the degree of throbbing in legs - I didn't do it to mask an acute injury (although I can't say I would think about that too if I needed to get through the end of a race....)
No, pain is not swelling. They are two different pathways. I think I can explain? I'll give it a try.
Ibuprofen blocks the action of a molecule called COX. COX has a lot of jobs. COX turns on a lot of different messengers in the body. One of the messages COX sends is for the tissues to swell up. Another message COX sends is for your body to run a fever. Another message is to cause pain. Pain in the body is a good thing because it helps you protect your parts. If you don't feel pain, you'll end up severely injuring yourself.
Ibuprofen stops pain by stopping COX. HOWEVER, COX doesn't cause all pain. You can have pain even if COX isn't involved. If COX isn't involved, then ibuprofen won't work at all.
Tylenol also stops pain by blocking COX.
But it seems that, since Ibuprofen doesn't prevent pain during ultras, the pain of long distance running isn't caused by COX.
I don't take Tylenol or Ibuprofen to prevent soreness in an ultra because they apparently don't even work. I linked to a couple of articles above from the Western States 100. The scientists asked people who had taken Ibuprofen and those that had not to rate their pain. Ibuprofen didn't seem to help. So it's all risk for no gain.