Taking Painkillers During A Leisure Event?

furiousox

So I did a 100k charity sportive yesterday and I did something I've never done before.
At the 50k food stop I was feeling a bit saddle sore and had some lower back pain so I popped a couple of paracetamol.
(I brought 2 with me along with gels, bars etc)
They definitely took the edge off the discomfort and made the remaining (hilly) 50k a good bit easier than it might have been.
I've been thinking about it since, I know it's not a race situation but is it acceptable?
Should I just suffer along like everyone else or is it no biggie as it's a leisure event?
I've got the whole Sky/Tramadol "unfair advantage"scenario buzzing around in my head!
(Not illegal but not exactly ethical either)
P.S. One fella hopped off and smoked 2 fags at the food stop!

bazermc

I dont see any problem with it, painkillers are there for a reason, if you were struggling with pain and would have struggled to make it home, then go for it

I wont make a habit of though i.e. with any pain niggle that you start popping

smacl

Bit saddle sore myself yesterday during the tail end of a long spin, and if I had a couple of painkillers I no doubt would have taken them. That said, its something I'd avoid getting into the habit of, curing the symptoms rather than the problem. My pain yesterday was due to an ill conceived change in my set-up so wouldn't be the norm. If I was getting regular pain (as opposed to just being totally knackered), I'd look to finding and correcting the root cause rather than masking it.

Inquitus

Think all ye need is a prescription of 2 HTFU Pills!

Beasty

If I feel a headache coming on be it the morning of a commute or a race I'll take an ibuprofen tablet - does wonders for me (and such painkillers along with the likes of paracetemol are definitely not on the banned list!)

Can't be bothered if it's just back pain/sciatica mind, as I've been suffering on that front for decades and am pretty much adjusted to it.

fat bloke

Never go nowhere no more without a couple of Rennie tabs in the back póca. Don't need them all the time but the odd time I've been caught out and it makes for an increasingly unpleasant spin.

niceonetom

Agonizing about gaining an unfair advantage in a non-competitive event?

Really?

Seriously though, I'd avoid taking painkillers of any kind (doubly so those with anti-inflammatory effect) while exercising as it can block out something you should be taking seriously. Years ago I rode through the pain on an event (with liberal use of ibuprofen) and did permanent damage. Pain exists for a reason.

bazermc

niceonetom wrote: »

Agonizing about gaining an unfair advantage in a non-competitive event?

Really?

Seriously though, I'd avoid taking painkillers of any kind (doubly so those with anti-inflammatory effect) while exercising as it can block out something you should be taking seriously. Years ago I rode through the pain on an event (with liberal use of ibuprofen) and did permanent damage. Pain exists for a reason.

Well said. Pain is essentially your body telling you to stop

I would only use it as a last resort, i.e. miles from home and in serious pain

jimm

I got a massive thumping headache a few years ago on the road past Crone woods outside Enniskerry. Still had about 25km to home over the Featherbeds and will never forget the agony of that spin. Since then, I never leave home without a couple of paracetamol/ibuprofen in a zippy bag in the pocket.

Red Belly

Always a bad idea. Painkillers during exercise, especially during endurance exercise, are ineffective and exercise can seriously increase the likelihood of adverse side effects. I came across a lot of this kind of info when training for/running marathons where you see a lot of people popping pills during the events. Can be REALLY bad for your kidneys. A quick google found this: http://www.theguardian.com/science/2013/apr/20/painkillers-marathons-health-risk-study

But there is plenty of hard data out there about how it's a really bad idea.

It can be hard to judge when a pain can be worked through or when you should not work out, but if you feel the need to pop a pill to get through a workout then you shouldn't do the workout. If you feel the need to pop a pill to get to the end of a workout, don't bother because it won't work anyway!

Mods: Apologies if in breach of charter!

rb

darkvalley

On my first ever 100km sportive (tour of sligo) this year, I spent the night before in a pub drinking until 2am. Stupid I know, but it was my eldest daughters 21st, what could I do!!
Surprise Surprise, the next morning I was not feeling the fittest I have ever been. I considered pulling out, but thought I should give it a go. I brought a couple of paracetamol with me. The first part of the cyle was very difficult and at the food break I took the 2 tablets. Within a couple of kms of restarting I had a huge surge of energy and flew home the last 50km feeling great!

Fast forward some months and I was heading out to visit with relations living in the pyrenees and wanted to cycle one of the big climbs. Being full of the fear of a big climb, considering how I climb the small ones in this country, my mind recalled the effects of 2 paracetamol during the tour of Sligo, and I seriously considered bringing some to take if it got too painfull!

It's weird, but I am a 50 year old leisure cyclist and I was seriously considering what sort of drugs I could take to improve my cycling!!

I think if you need to take a drug to combat a pain which you would take even if you were not on the bike, that is ok. But if you are considering taking it to lesson the pain of the cycle itself you really need to ask yourself why you are cycling in the first place. Cycling, for most of us, is suppose to be a fun leisure activity, often with a sense of personal achievement attached. Where would the sense of fun and achievement be if I had to take something to get me up the climb? I really do find it bizarre that I had the thought in the first place.

MB Lacey

Red Belly wrote: »

Always a bad idea. Painkillers during exercise, especially during endurance exercise, are ineffective

if you feel the need to pop a pill to get through a workout then you shouldn't do the workout.

I have to disagree.
If that were the case the majority of women would have to abandon all forms of training, workouts, cycling, any form of exercise for a week every month - that's not going to happen, so the other option is to take some paracetemol/ nurofen to help with cramps etc.

There's a bit of an over reaction to this guy taking a couple of paracetemol.

Fair enough to warn against prolonged and continuous use, but a couple of paracetemol is not cause for concern.

tunney

furiousox wrote: »

So I did a 100k charity sportive yesterday and I did something I've never done before.
At the 50k food stop I was feeling a bit saddle sore and had some lower back pain so I popped a couple of paracetamol.
(I brought 2 with me along with gels, bars etc)
They definitely took the edge off the discomfort and made the remaining (hilly) 50k a good bit easier than it might have been.
I've been thinking about it since, I know it's not a race situation but is it acceptable?
Should I just suffer along like everyone else or is it no biggie as it's a leisure event?
I've got the whole Sky/Tramadol "unfair advantage"scenario buzzing around in my head!
(Not illegal but not exactly ethical either)
P.S. One fella hopped off and smoked 2 fags at the food stop!

I know a guy who did something like this, he died. Bad idea.

Cyclewizard

I always take a couple of nurofen with me as i suffer with lower back pain occasionaly on longer spins. I have hurt my back on a couple of occasions (not through cycling) and been to the doctors and physio and was advised anti - inflams are ok when required. paracetamol has never done anything for me to be honest so I wouldnt ever bother with those and if I was in pain before the spin I simply wouldnt go but Iv found it very helpfull having a couple of nurofens in the saddle bag on longer sportives etc. Just my experience though.

P.S to the OP, I wouldnt give it a second thought in relation to 'getting an advantage' etc on a leisure event!

Cee-Jay-Cee

I done Mizen to Malin a few weeks ago and took 2 paracetamol at the mid way food stops after day 2 as I was getting a discomfort in the base of my neck after 3hrs and the paracetamol definitely eased it. I wouldn't normally take them but considering it was a 5 day event and we were averaging 130km a day I made the exception.

tunney

Have people here actually tried Tramadol?
It and paracetamol are like comparing a wine spritzer to ethanol. Its all in your head people.

Brian?

Paracetamol is nothing to worry about. There seems to be an escalating hysteria here about mild pain killers.

The worry with drugs like tramadol are the side effects not the pain killing effect. If something impairs your judgement, balance etc. then it's not worth taking. If you're a bit sore there's feck all wrong with taking paracetamol.

ford2600

tunney wrote: »

Have people here actually tried Tramadol?
It and paracetamol are like comparing a wine spritzer to ethanol. Its all in your head people.

You'll sleep well after Tramadol, not the best choice when cycling I would have thought.

Pretty sure painkillers/anti inflammatories are part of a lot of audax riders saddle bags. I have never used them.

A friend of mine who didn't train much used to take difene on every ROK and SKT. Tough enough on kidneys with long term use I believe

Beasty

There is to be no discussion of prescription drugs here - they must only be taken in accordance with proper medical advice

tunney

Beasty wrote: »

There is to be no discussion of prescription drugs here - they must only be taken in accordance with proper medical advice

To clarify my Tramadol was after a root canal.
There was a reason they don't say "take two paracetamol"