Taking an ibuprofen before running

Does anyone one do this (with say a banana half hour before starting) for any ailments? been getting tendonitus in the front of my foot on my longer runs. other than potential stomach upset which I'll find out about by trying, any downsides? 

There is lots of research around indicating that NSAID's are bad news for athletes. Quick google - lots and lots similar to below.

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/01/phys-ed-does-ibuprofen-help-or-hurt-during-exercise/

like any medication.if you use it regulary it wioll start to lose it affect on you..... swo not a good idea....

I do take one if I am running more than 4 hours or cycling more than 5/6 hours..but even then its not before I start its part way through and as i do not cover these distances every day or even week then its not a major thing

only if i'm really hungover!!

But on a serious note, my GP told me that ibuprofen will only work as an anti-inflammatory if taken as a course over several days - taking the odd one will only act as a painkiller, so you may end up doing more damage to yourself.

had half a box during the Outlaw this summer.. Was in agony with my shoulder even before the swim

Just to further hammer the point home...

It's not "a stomach upset" you risk through long term NSAID (ab)use. We're not talking a bit of of stomach ache or having to nip to the toilet. NSAIDs can cause gastric ulceration, and if you dont treat those, they can perforate. Then you're vomitting blood, you have gastric contents leaking into your abdominal cavity leading to peritonitis and you have to be hospitalised.
I take ibuprofen if I have a headache, of course, like any sane person, so I'm not suggesting it needs to be a class A drug or anything. But you should NOT be taking them on a daily basis, half a banana or not, just to enable you to run a few miles. The side effects are potentially extremely serious and NOT that rare (and I havent mentioned kidney failure or colonitis), so please dont do it.

Here endeth the lecture.

Just say NO

I wonder if the OP has got the message yet?? 

always good to cause a reaction.

well certainly wasn't about to be knocking back on a daily basis, was more thinking once every other week when I do a LSR . is the reaction for that suggestion as extreme?

NO PAINKILLERS!! 

Vicky Yello wrote (see)

always good to cause a reaction.

well certainly wasn't about to be knocking back on a daily basis, was more thinking once every other week when I do a LSR . is the reaction for that suggestion as extreme?

 

YES!!!

It should be!  

If you've felt pain on more than one long run, then its more likely a 'chronic-overuse' type injury.  In which case ibuprofen will do NOTHING to fix the problem, as said above you're only masking it.  Get a proper diagnosis & treatment before it gets worse.  

Inflammation is a natural part of the healing process - it brings all the good stuff (white blood cells, fresh blood etc..) to an injury.   Anti-inflammatories will be impeding that process.   Its not good (and painful) to have too much inflammation, which is why they can be useful in acute situations (upto 72hrs after injury).

Good facts re inflammation. I was always of the impression that inflammation was a just a nasty side effect of fighting the problem (like a runny nose when you have a cold). Hence my thoughts that an anti-inflammatories on the odd occasion wouldn't be an issue.

This thread is quite funny - it's obviously come up before and caused reaction hence the jumping to very incorrect conclusions re my soon to be painkiller junkie status.

Did you read the link I posted?  The point of the story with that is that NSAID's actually impede fitness.... as they get in the way of the natural adaptations that are how we get fitter in the first place.

So, my answer was nothing to do with impeding death from drug overdoses and more to do with the fact that it fights your fitness rather than helping it when you go for a long run.

the heading did state taking them before running....atno time did you say the ccassional run when in pain. or in pain and wanting to race.you just said when running......

so not sure that people jumped to conclusions as I think it was natural to assume that you run several times a week