In a perfect world, you wouldn鈥檛 take non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), which include ibuprofen, before or after a workout. But there are some instances when it鈥檚 fine. First, the main reasons you shouldn鈥檛.
1. NSAIDs can screw with your gut.
Strenuous exercise can damage your GI tract, and research suggests that NSAIDs could aggravate that damage, compromising your ability to absorb nutrients and even leading to long-term digestive issues.
2. NSAIDs can impede your ability to adapt to exercise.
NSAIDs work by inhibiting production of prostaglandins, compounds involved in the creation of collagen, which is essential to the health of most tissues in your body. 鈥淚t鈥檚 possible that your bones and tendons and ligaments won鈥檛 get as big and strong,鈥 says Stuart Warden, a professor at the .
3. NSAIDs, as has been widely documented, can cause kidney damage.
And they鈥檙e particular harmful to dehydrated athletes. So when should you take them? Sparingly. Warden says it鈥檚 OK to pop an ibuprofin to relieve pain or swelling from a new injury or after a tough race. 鈥淏ut only for the first few days,鈥 he says, 鈥渨hen you have acute pain or inflammation.鈥 If you鈥檙e still hurting after that, there鈥檚 a larger issue. 鈥淧ain is an indicator that something鈥檚 not right,鈥 Warden says. In other words, if you can鈥檛 handle the pain from your workout, back off.
If you’re still itching for a workout and the pain is unbearable, we recommend going for healthier, natural options to painkillers like Ibuprofen and Tylenol. are a good option, but be wary of taking too much or taking it too often, because it can be habit forming in the long run. The best kratom strains for pain relief are and .