Ep. #462: Do Painkillers Reduce Muscle Growth? What 23 Studies Say

For many people, ibuprofen, naproxen, and acetaminophen are godsends.

Whenever they feel a niggling ache or pain, they pop a pill and feel right as rain.

Elbow pain from benching? No problem.

Knee pain from squatting? Nothing a few pills can’t fix.

Shoulder pain from overhead press? Not today.

Have a bad case of DOMS? NBD, man.

Take a few pills, and you’ll be able to push through workouts that might otherwise keep you sidelined.

And others even take these over-the-counter (OTC) painkillers on a regular basis, just in case something starts to hurt.

If you’ve read anything about these drugs, though, then you may have heard that they can also interfere with muscle growth.

Some even go so far as to say that you should avoid them at all costs. It’s better to stay home and wait for your body to heal itself than to take a pill that kills your gains.

Who’s right, and what should you do?

That’s what you’re going to learn in this podcast. By the end, you’ll know how painkillers affect muscle growth, whether or not taking them will interfere with strength and muscle gain, and how to balance the pros and cons to get the best of both worlds.

Let’s get started.

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