# FITNESS and NUTRITION FORUM > WORKOUT AND TRAINING >  Taking a blood thinner prior to workout

## ironbeck

I have fallen into a pattern of taking a blood thinner(alieve)(over the counter) before working out, and have found it effective for my over all endurance? Especially since i always train cardio at the end of my workout. Does any one else do this?

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## ironbeck

Can i get some feed back?

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## M302_Imola

I take some naproxen (active ingredient in Alleve) before most workouts but I don't do it for endurance. I mostly take it to help w/ inflammation in injured areas.

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## ironbeck

I totally understand, it takes me a good 20min just to get warmed up....snap, crackle, pop....lol

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## M302_Imola

> I totally understand, it takes me a good 20min just to get warmed up....snap, crackle, pop....lol



Yeah it sucks getting old!

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## V-ROID

Ever tried any of the ECA type pre-workout stacks? Ephedra/Bronkaid, NoDoz/Coffee, Aspirin/Willow Bark, maybe yohimbe? Sometimes it feels like if my blood were any thinner it would leak out through my pores.

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## Big Balta

I used to take L-Arginine as a nitric oxide precursor. I don't know if it's because I have controlled high blood pressure, but it seems I was tired as hell taking it. I stopped taking all supplements and I feel a lot fresher and have more energy in the gym. Not only that, but the Arginine, I think, was giving me heart palpitations. For those who don't know, Arginine is a vasodilator.

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## jimmyinkedup

Naproxen , like some other nsaids (ie aspirin) , technically doesnt "thin the blood" at all. It reduces hemostatic effect or platelet aggregation. 
I dont personally see how this can significantly improve performance - but I could be mistaken.
Ive also heard claims of "increase nutirent transport" - with low dose aspirin - total rubbish imo.
Personally I take low dose enteric aspirin , 82mg/day - every day. At 43 living in some ways a high risk lifestyle it just makes sense. However I in no way can see or feel any ergogenic benefit from nsaid use.

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## [email protected]

Here's an article on the effects of anti-inflammatory drugs and strength training. It could be somewhat applicable to endurance training.



*Aspirin and Ibuprofen are good anti-inflammatories for muscle recovery.*

The topic of muscle inflammation is pretty hot these days because it’s thought that minimizing this natural response will enhance recovery. By allowing us to hit the gym or get back on the field quicker, we can once again stimulate our bodies with a hard training session.

While the theory holds some water, we need to be careful how far we take it. For example, the use of traditional pain relievers, like aspirin and ibuprofen, has been increasingly common, because most people just don’t like the feeling of muscle soreness.

A common effect of these pain relievers is that they exert a powerful anti-inflammatory effect. This fact has excited some budding pseudo-scientists, because they reason that using these common drugs will reduce muscle inflammation and enhance recovery. Great theory, poor applicability.

Early research showed that post workout use of these drugs inhibited our natural production of a chemical necessary for muscle growth and repair (Trappe et al., 2001). Further investigation showed that sure enough, muscle protein synthesis was completely shut down when these drugs were combined with strength training (Trappe et al., 2002). As a final kick in the teeth, using these drugs resulted in no effect on either inflammation (Peterson et al., 2003), or muscle soreness (Trappe et al., 2002).

Essentially we get the worst of all worlds when combining nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) like aspirin and ibuprofen, with strength straining. Having said that, it is important to note that there are several different ways of affecting inflammation, some may be good, others are clearly bad. Keep in the back of your mind that limiting inflammation is a good idea, but certainly be aware that it is not universally beneficial.

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## M302_Imola

> Naproxen , like some other nsaids (ie aspirin) , technically doesnt "thin the blood" at all. It reduces hemostatic effect or platelet aggregation. 
> I dont personally see how this can significantly improve performance - but I could be mistaken.
> Ive also heard claims of "increase nutirent transport" - with low dose aspirin - total rubbish imo.
> Personally I take low dose enteric aspirin , 82mg/day - every day. At 43 living in some ways a high risk lifestyle it just makes sense. However I in no way can see or feel any ergogenic benefit from nsaid use.


good info Jimmy!

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## ironbeck

tks for all your posts

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