A recent study of older adults concluded that taking the daily recommended dosage of ibuprofen or Acetaminophen had given the older adults an opportunity to have a greater increase in muscle strength and mass.
In the study, participants lifted weight regularly while taking the daily doses of
Pain relievers. The control group took no pain relievers and it was found that there was a substantial increase in muscle mass between the two groups. The reason for the gain in muscle mass can be attributed to the pain relievers inducing the chance that the muscle will respond better to resistance
Exercise. Having the ability to respond well to resistance training was also the main reason for the gain of muscle mass in the elderly patients.
The study was conducted during a twelve week period that included regular resistance training. These exercises were performed at least three times per week for 20 minutes. The patients were all between 60 and 78 years of age. They were randomly assigned to a pain reliever
Placebo to take daily during the study. The researchers used the maximum daily dose for these over the counter medicines.
The results that the researchers found were that the resistance training alone did increase muscle mass and strength, although the increases were much greater in those who were assigned to take the pain relievers. The findings surprised the researchers since previous studies have shown that pain relievers tend to have a negative impact on muscle within a twenty-four hour period.
The expected outcome for this study was that the elderly patients would not benefit from any pain reliever taken during exercise. The researchers expected it to get in the way and hinder and muscle building. But the outcome was surprisingly different. The research into this subject continues with a study of muscle biopsies from the patients taken before and after the study was complete.
