Are you training for a marathon and have you just beaten your personal best? Congratulations! But are you about to pop a painkiller for that niggling knee? – think twice!
Pain makes it clear that there is something wrong and a painkiller just masks the pain.– and why do we do this? Well, we are competitive by nature and don’t want anything to upset our performance on race day.
The risks
- One of the all too common issues with this is that you will over-train and will, more than likely, worsen the problem.
- Are you working towards becoming a professional athlete? Be careful – many experts have claimed that painkillers fulfil the necessary requirements for you to be considered to be on a doping substance – no need to become another athletic cliché.
- Long-term use of painkillers not only leads to serious health issues, but there is also the possibility of addiction, which carries its own set of problems.
What research has revealed
Runners who took painkillers before a race, showed an increased risk of muscle and intestinal cramps, and even worse, intestinal bleeding– see what we mean?
So next time you feel pain, stay safe and rather take a break.