Painkillers Without Pain Give Athletes Almost No Edge
Graded Moderate — an analysis of 23 studies that tested drug and dummy pill in random order, but the overall certainty of the evidence was rated only moderate.
- Design
- Meta-analysis
- Participants
- 23
- Duration
- —
- Funding
- —
Common painkillers improved exercise performance only very slightly in people who were not in pain.
Some athletes take painkillers even when nothing hurts, hoping to perform better. An analysis that pooled 23 studies found little reason for that hope. The drugs did have a measurable effect on performance, but it was very small. The authors conclude that a real boost is unlikely.
In these studies, the same people took the painkiller once and a dummy pill once, in random order. The drugs tested included aspirin, ibuprofen, paracetamol and tramadol. Paracetamol was the most studied, appearing in 16 studies. The researchers also found no clear benefit against the pain that hard exercise itself causes.
One exception showed up: in cycling, people did somewhat better on tramadol. But this came from a smaller sub-analysis of the data. The authors stress that this result still needs to be confirmed in real-world conditions and in other sports. They rate the overall certainty of the evidence as moderate.
Disclaimer: Research summaries are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making changes to your health routine.
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