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Aspirin Athletic Performance

Aspirin Athletic Performance – UPDATED 2021 – A Complete Guide

Aspirin is a versatile drug, one of the oldest in the world, and delivers a plethora of benefits when it comes to maintaining optimal health and wellness. One of the most appealing benefits this drug offers to athletes is improved performance with reduced risk of injuries and cardiac events during the race and training.

In this guide, we discuss how Aspirin can affect athletic performance and help runners mitigate various risks. We also try to understand whether Aspirin and other painkillers are safe to be taken before a run.

Aspirin Athletic Performance – A Complete Guide

Amateur as well as professional athletes that participate in endurance events keep looking for new ways to improve and recover faster. One of the options that are widespread across sports is the use of anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving drugs that help ease recovery and reduce muscle pain after a workout.

Aspirin is one of the most preferred options for those who want to improve their athletic performance when competing at endurance events. This drug works by blocking the production of prostaglandins, the substances responsible for a variety of physiologic functions including pain and inflammation.

While there are health risks associated with long-term use of painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs, a large number of athletes rely on a daily dose of aspirin to boost endurance, ease pain, and speed recovery. Taking these pills also helps athletes train harder because of reduced pain sensations.

Aspirin And Running

Aspirin and Running – What You Should Know?

Drugs have become so mainstream in modern times that many athletes abuse the use of some pain killers. Aspirin is by far the safest drug without side effects and available readily without any prescription needed. NSAIDs (Non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory drugs) are hugely popular over the counter medicine type today.

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Aspirin is an NSAID that benefits bodybuilders, fitness enthusiasts, runners, and athletes who want to level up their game. This drug is prominently important for runners because it works by reducing the chemicals in the body that cause fever, swelling, and pain. When taken in the right dose with caution, the drug can help reduce muscle pain, inflammation, and soreness. It can also help speed up recovery from muscular injuries.

NSAIDs, when used regularly in high doses, can adversely affect the GI function and kidneys. So if you want to take aspirin before running daily, it is advisable to monitor the blood often and keep check of kidney function. Those who already suffer from kidney disease should take the doctor’s advice before using any anti-inflammatory drug. By taking proper precautions, one can benefit from the drug’s properties without any health risks.

Taking Aspirin Before Running

While the use of aspirin is quite popular among athletes looking for improved performance and pain management, runners often question whether they should take the drug before or after running.

It is advisable to take the medicine after running to avoid any effects of dehydration. High doses of aspirin taken before the run can worsen the effects of dehydration you experience during the race.

It is quite dangerous to take aspirin before endurance events like a marathon because there is a high risk of getting dehydrated during the long run. Experts recommend taking aspirin after a run to handle the pains and muscle inflammation for a speedy recovery. Moreover, it should be taken with a lot of water so that it dissolves faster and works quickly.

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Aspirin can be taken before or after running to manage muscular pain, inflammation, and injuries like calf strains, shin splints, sore backs, hamstring strain, foot pain, and more. It is recommended to take aspirin for a few days after such injuries but should be phased out after that to allow the body to heal on its own.

Other Painkillers Before Running

Long-distance running takes a toll on the body and results in body aches, pains, and soreness. Most marathoners and runners prefer taking painkillers like ibuprofen and naproxen before running. These drugs reduce inflammation and relieve pain, the two most desirable benefits for athletes. However, they also carry the risks of damaging your liver, kidney, and gastric function.

Acetaminophen is another popular painkiller runners prefer to take before an event. It acts as an analgesic and relieves you of muscle aches without impacting the kidneys and stomach. However, it can put your liver function at risk if taken in large doses. Some athletes even rely on a dose of paracetamol to be able to perform better and manage pains. This drug can make it easier to work harder. However, when consumed regularly in high doses, it can pose serious risks to one’s health.

Baby Aspirin Pre Workout

Aspirin works wonders when used for conditions like headache, back pain, and arthritis. Therefore it is one of the largely prescribed drugs across the world. Aspirin is usually taken in small doses for prevention of heart attack more than for pain relief because of its blood-thinning effects. When taken in small doses, the safety profile of Aspirin is great.

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A large number of athletes prefer taking baby Aspirin before workouts to deal with the aches and pains during and after the physical activity. When taken before the workout, aspirin mitigates the risks of a cardiac arrest during the exercise, particularly for older athletes preparing for endurance events.

The use of baby aspirin is quite common and beneficial in older male runners as it provides a temporary blood-thinning effect to lower the risk of a clot-induced heart attack during an event like a marathon.

When consumed in low doses, aspirin decreases the stickiness of blood and reduces the risk of a cardiac event by up to 45%.

Running multiple races and training hard daily increases the risks of acute cardiac attack among athletes, even if they are leading an active lifestyle. This is where aspirin proves to be a life-saver. Not only does this drug help athletes train and compete harder but also lower the risk of such adverse events. Though there are certain implications and caution associated with the use of aspirin, it is one of the most effective ways for athletes to improve performance.

 


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