Hey gang. I have pain issues. Hip pain, calf pain, back pain, etc. I do all the right things. Resting (for several months), strengthen core, bike fit, not over train, sleep, etc., etc., etc. I’ve also done the medical system to death (CT scans, xrays, sport med, physio, massage, stretching, diet, etc., etc.). After all the medical crap they really didn’t come up with a solution and the doctor says tough it out while taking anti inflammatory for a month. Likely some kind of ligament/arthritic condition or my body is just breaking down from starting to age (49).
Let’s just assume for the purpose of this thread that its just me getting older and not a physically treatable thing.
I am not a pill popper by nature, but I am also grumpy from the pain and my wife points out that I moan in pain without even realizing it sometimes.
So doctor wants to pop pills for a month. Lets assume for a moment, rightly or wrongly, that is the best course of action. I’ve heard TR say that anti-inflammatories reduce your training benefits. So if I have to take them when is the best time (pre workout or post)? Only on non-training days (if I can)? What studies are there on it slowing down my training?
Ps…please don’t message back saying you’re 106 years old and have no problem running 3 marathons a day! I’ll just reply back saying I hate you!
Hey @IamDeablo, there’s another solution to popping pills!
I’ve been on a plant based diet for 8 months now and I’ve reaped the benefits - more energy, less inflammation and better overall health.
For context, I’ve always suffered with back pain and have tried every type of treatment out there! Back pain relief was incidental though. The thing that got me on the plant based diet, was as an alternative to being on immune-suppressants and anti-inflammatories for the rest of my life (I’m 42) after being diagnosed with Crohn’s and Pulmonary Sarcoidosis three years ago. I decided at the end of last year to go plant based and monitor my health whilst weening off the medication. I’m happy to say that I have been symptom free for months. My fitness is also at an all-time high.
You should watch Game Changers for the science behind reducing inflammation and the performance benefits of a plant based diet
I appreciate you taking the time to type up the response, but respectfully … Oh my good god …Hell no…never going to happen!!! I’d rather call it quits on life then stop enjoying meat. Hell no. Just no.
Why don’t just I stop having sex? That would be much easier. Or maybe breathing every other minute for the rest of my life? How about walking only on the leg that doesn’t bother me? Going without sleep forever perhaps? Learning to levitate perhaps…but not my steak. HELL NO. Life isn’t worth living. Never going to drink that kool-aid.
Vegetarians/Vegans are aliens from another world.
Eating meat is murder … tasty, tasty, tasty murder.
Ps. But all kidding aside, thanks for the response. I do appreciate you taking the time.
I’ve watched game changers…very poorly researched “facts”. Human’s have been eating meat for 50,000 years and only eating refined grains like breads and pastas for a few hundred. How about checking out “In search of the perfect human diet” by C.J. Hunt.
Haha! We’re all different, no judgment from me my friend !
I get your response too - I always enjoyed meat, and I do miss it sometimes. It’s just a better alternative for me than being on immuno drugs that have some nasty side effects.
I will take a look at “In search of the perfect human diet” - always looking to different viewpoints, but I’ve got a taste for tofu now, so won’t be heading back to meat
Chronic pain here too…plus 2 torn labrums, bulging discs and arthritis in shoulders. Good fun. I stay clear of pain meds as much as possible and have learned to cope mostly. THC in the evening helps.
Oh and I’ve been plant based vegan for years…still messed up.
One thing that makes a huge difference for me is 40-60 min of yin yoga every morning. I wake up at 5:15 and walk my dog until 6 and then yoga. If I miss a few days it’s so much worse.
You may want to look into diet. I had an inflammatory skin condition that threatened my career as a general surgeon. I would consider avoiding all grains and dairy, and possibly consider eliminating nightshades as well. Certainly avoid all seed oils. I went whole hog on this diet at first, and have been able to add back rice and oats. If I eat bread or wheat, my skin starts to react again. If you do try this, give it 6-8 wks. If no difference after that time, then your diet won’t matter. Good luck.
FWIW for me, pain arrives when not lifting weights. “Strengthening core” is not the same as maintaining muscle mass. May not be your issue, just throwing it out for consideration.
Just a thought, if you’re in long term pain surely trying dietry changes would be worth a shot?
Might not need to be totally abstinent from meat/wheat/haribo but reducing might help. A few months with cheese/burgers can’t kill you. Hard I’ll give you that, I keep failing a tee totalling but might help.
Hi.
I had a damaged hip, initial assessment, doc said i was too young to have it replaced ( i was 44) So I used heat bag (Wheat filled bag) at night 2 to 3 hours before bed stimulated blood flow to the area.
I also used Anti inflam Gel to the local area. Before going to bed. And on the worse days. Took the anti inflam at night, that generally ment i woke in the morning with reduced pain and able to do my training. I did this for about 5 years. Then got the hip replaced… Did not really affect my endurance performance. Was not racing at the time. I am back training hard now. Nearly 56. Odd bits hurt, i have a massager, use the gel when needed, and do take NSID when bits hurt, My performance still improving so … It maybe be that my performance is affected but i do not see it
most of our seed have gen manipulation, especially flour that used for bread, cheap as possible and very bad quality, if you want bread with good flour, it will become very expansive.
i changed my life, after a big crash with a car and eat today Paleo like, not 100% and it works perfect for me, helped me a lot after 5 years of eating strong pain killers (Opiats)
A temporary, low residual diet - which includes eliminating some types of seeds, along with a reduction in diary intake is a recognised strategy for periods of ‘flare ups’ for gastro-intestinal issues, such as IBS/Crohn’s.
However, I’m not sure that eliminating seeds is beneficial for other inflammatory issues. In fact, as someone who regularly flicks between low-residual and regular diet as a preventative measure to reduce the risk of flare ups with Crohn’s - I for one ensure that I eat seeds as much as possible during my ‘regular’ eating cycle to ensure a balanced diet.
I won’t dive into the biochemistry, but a place to start is the paleo diet. Check out books by Chris Kresser, Robb Wolff. For further plant elimination, you can read Stephen Gundry.
As an aside, I’m not a fan of the carnivore diet because of what it does to your gut bacteria. A good explanation of this is Rhonda Patrick on her recent appearance on Joe Rogan. Avoiding Seed oils is important in general. They are precursors of inflammatory mediators. This pretty much eliminates all fast food.
I know it is frustrating when people have developed chronic pain, and the medical workup does not give an answer. Have you had a workup to rule out a Rheumatologic etiology? Regarding anti inflammatories, ie: NSAIDS’, since they can effect kidney functions, it would probably be better to take after your ride. I would make sure that I was properly hydrated after the ride, so my urine was clear. They are to be taken with food, and generally are not recommended for longer than 7- 10 days due to side effects. I hope this advice is useful.
agree with above recommendations on either Paleo or keto based diets. I have chronic fatigue/gulf war illness and manage my symptoms through diet, supplements and a few off label prescription meds (primarily low dose naltrexone). Keto Reset by Brad Kearns (former pro triathlete) is a good book to start with
Let go back to the original question…if I have to take anti-inflammatories, when do I time it to minimize the reduction of benefits of training associated to combining fitness and anti-inflammatories?
