Painkillers and exercise add muscle for elderly
Painkillers such as ibuprofen can assist in a substantial increase in muscle mass for elderly men and women, who lift weights regularly for exercise, according to US researchers.
The Ball State University team noticed the changes in the quadriceps muscle mass of ageing men and women over three months of weight lifting, while taking ibuprofen or acetaminophen.
The participants were between 60 and 78, with an average age of 65, and were randomly assigned daily doses of the two drugs.
They then took part in three months of weight training with 15 to 20 minute sessions three times a week.
Training at this intensity was expected to increase muscle mass and strength, which it did, but researchers found that the people given ibuprofen and acetaminophen did even better.
The longer term consumption of the two drugs during weight lifting appeared to have enhanced the metabolic response to resistance exercise, allowing the body to add substantially more new protein to muscle.
The Ball State researchers said that their study was equally valuable for the elderly, who suffer from muscle loss as they age, and astronauts, who lose muscle mass and strength during long periods in space.
