The idea of popping a few painkillers before an Ironman is becoming commonplace. One study showed that as many as 60% of triathletes were taking medication such as Ibuprofen before or during races, and Ironman recently announced Aleve \u2013 \u201cthe pain relief brand trusted by millions\u201d \u2013 as a new sponsor for its 2019 world championship in Hawaii on 12 October.<\/p>\n
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The partnership would imply there\u2019s little risk to using artificial assistance to help see you through what is, after all, billed as the hardest one-day event on the planet. If it reduces discomfort and is promoted by the biggest brand in the sport, what could possibly be amiss?<\/p>\n
Plenty, according to the backlash from both medical professionals, and professional and amateur athletes, who believe the drugs\u2019 side effects \u2013 to fatal levels in extremis \u2013 are not being disclosed to an unwitting endurance sport community.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is a high risk of adverse effects to multiple organ systems including gastro-intestinal, kidney and cardiovascular,\u201d says Craig Rosenbloom, a sports and exercise medicine doctor, who has conducted a review into the research on non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in relation to endurance events. \u201cFatal effects include hyponatraemia (low salt levels in the blood), kidney failure, stroke, and heart attack.\u201d<\/p>\n
Britain\u2019s multiple Ironman champion Lucy Gossage underlined that sentiment on Twitter: \u201cI think it\u2019s ludicrous to have a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug sponsoring Ironman. The message this is sending out is wrong on so many levels.\u201d<\/p>\n
Aleve is the brand name for naproxen, an NSAID sold over-the-counter in the USA, but mainly available on prescription in the UK. Rosenbloom cautions that its purported benefits of pain prevention and injury treatment are not backed up by evidence, and stresses that Aleve\u2019s half-life can be up to 17 hours \u2013 compared to 2hrs for Ibuprofen \u2013 thereby extending its health risk potential.<\/p>\n
Ironically, this \u201clast all day\u201d message is billed as a benefit by Lisa Tecklenburg of Bayer, the global drug company that produces Aleve. \u201cWhen people hear \u2018Ironman,\u2019 they know that it stands for overcoming obstacles to reach the pinnacle of performance,\u201d Tecklenburg says. \u201cAches and pains can be obstacles as well.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
And herein lies the nub of the issue. Aches and pains resulting from a 3.8km swim, 180km bike and 42.2km run, are a normal reaction from a stressed body due to exercise.\u00a0<\/p>\n
They are our cue for when to push on and when to ease back and allow for adaptation. Viewing them as obstacles to be removed by numbing the discomfort shows no sense of listening to our bodies\u2019 warning signs, so it\u2019s little wonder trying this shortcut has health consequences. Some ultra events already ban NSAIDs due to the health risks, and although largely unenforceable, it at least sends out the right message.<\/p>\n
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In research for this column, I\u2019ve been contacted by those who ended up in hospital with the onset of renal failure after taking tablets during an ultra run. None of this seems to shift Ironman. \u201cAthletes need safe and effective solutions that allow them to address the muscle aches and joint pain that could hold them back from being their best,\u201d says Matthieu van Veen, Ironman\u2019s chief revenue officer. \u201cThis is why the collaboration with Aleve for the Ironman World Championship is such a perfect match.\u201d Ironman was contacted for a response to this column.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n