# Painkillers Without Pain Give Athletes Almost No Edge

_Evidence Level: Moderate · Franco-Alvarenga PE et al., International journal of sports medicine, DOI 10.1055/a-2957-1021_

*Analgesics and Exercise Performance in Pain-Free Situations: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.*

- **Evidence Level**: Moderate
- **Why this grade**: 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.
- **Facts**: Design: Meta-analysis
- **Publication Types**: Journal Article
- **Journal**: International journal of sports medicine
- **Sample Size**: 23 studies
- **Authors**: Franco-Alvarenga PE, Brietzke C, Canestri R, Vinícius I, Vasconcelos G, Lima NDO, Alves DS, Alves W, Ferreira GA, Pires FO
- **Graded and published**: 2026-10-16
- **Last edited**: 2026-10-21
- **Topics**: Exercise, Supplements
- **DOI**: https://doi.org/10.1055/a-2957-1021
- **Original Source**: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42887522/

## Summary

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.

## Practical Takeaway

Common painkillers improved exercise performance only very slightly in people who were not in pain.

---

_Canonical: https://longevity-germany.com/en/research/painkillers-without-pain-give-athletes-almost-no-edge · Part of Longevity Cities · Updated 2026-10-21_