Paracetamol has a significant effect on exercise performance and the body’s ability to cope with the thermal challenge of exercise in the heat, shows a study published today [20 September] in Experimental Physiology.
The research team have previously shown that paracetamol can improve endurance performance through a reduction in exercise-induced pain. This study suggests, for the first time, that paracetamol can also improve the length of time someone can exercise for in hot conditions. The data suggests that this is achieved by reducing the body’s temperature during exercise, which subsequently improves their tolerance to exercise in the heat.
As the study was performed in humans, with a common over-the counter drug, the implications are far reaching. However, awareness of the risks associated with the performance-enhancing effects of paracetamol is important – it can cause damage to the gut, liver and mask injury.
Dr Lex Mauger, who led the study at The University of Kent’s School of Sport and Exercise Sciences, explains: “Firstly, consideration by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and local anti-doping authorities should be made about the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in sport – on both health and performance grounds. We conducted this study under very controlled conditions, and as the use of paracetamol during exercise is potentially dangerous and may actually also inhibit performance through other mechanisms – we would not advise anyone to use paracetamol to improve exercise performance because of these risks. Secondly, the utility of paracetamol as a first-response drug to exertional heat illness should be investigated.”
To perform the research, a group of healthy, male participants ingested single doses of paracetamol or a placebo, before cycling at a fixed intensity for as long as they could in hot conditions. During the exercise, measures of core and skin temperature were recorded alongside the participants’ perception of the heat.
The research gives a new insight into the effects of paracetamol on endurance exercise, and further studies hope to determine by which mechanisms this takes place.
Dr Mauger says, “Whilst we have found that paracetamol improves the time someone can exercise in the heat, and that this occurs alongside a reduced body temperature, we did not measure the specific mechanisms by which this may have occurred. It is important now to try and isolate how paracetamol reduced participants’ body temperature during exercise. Because so little is known about the use of pain-killers and exercise, more effort should be made to educate athletes, coaches and the public about the potential risks of performing under the influence of these drugs.”
ENDS
Notes for Editors
- Full paper: Mauger A, Taylor L, Harding C, Wright B, Foster J and Castle P (2013) Acute acetaminophen (paracetamol) ingestion improves time to exhaustion during exercise in the heat. Experimental Physiology. doi:10.1113/expphysiol.2013.075275
- Experimental Physiology publishes high quality, original, physiological research papers that give novel insights into fundamental homeostatic and adaptive responses in health and papers that further our knowledge of pathophysiological mechanisms in diseases. http://ep.physoc.org
Contacts
Lead author:
Dr Lex Mauger, School of Sport & Exercise Sciences, University of Kent; +44 (0)1634 888997, L.Mauger@Kent.ac.uk
Experimental Physiology:
Lucy Holmes, Media and Communications; +44 (0)20 7269 5727, pressoffice@physoc.org
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