NSAIDs enhance muscle growth in trained men 💪📈
Contrary to popular belief, ibuprofen could enhance gains.
NSAID ingestion augments training-induced muscle hypertrophy and differentially affects muscle mRNA expression, but not strength gains, in trained men
Study Details
This new study recruited 17 trained males to consume either…
⚪️ Placebo
💊 NSAID: diclofenac (75 mg/day)
…for 12 weeks, performing knee extension exercises 3x per week for resistance-exercise stimulus and functional assessment 🗓️
Here is what they found ⬇️
Key Findings
Muscle size was increased from baseline in both groups at 28 days…
⚪️ Placebo 4.3 ± 2.5%
💊 NSAID 4.6 ± 3.7%
…but only in the NSAID group at 84 days…
⚪️ PLA 3.9 ± 0.8%
💊 NSAID 8.6 ± 5.3%
Resistance exercise increased isometric strength (∼40%–50%), but gains were no different between groups ❌
Changes in mRNA expression related to several cellular functions associated with muscle mass and metabolic regulation were also significantly increased in the NSAID from 28 - 84 days 🧬
Conclusion
NSAID use may not be optimal for functional (strength) outcomes for athletic performance ⚠️
But may induce greater muscle hypertrophy development 💪
Reference
https://physoc.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1113/JP289542
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