Older guys getting back into exercise after leg inactivity don’t seem to gain or lose muscle strength or size from taking ibuprofen every day, even if they’re also drinking protein shakes.

Pro

Against

Evidence from Studies

Supporting (1)

Community contributions welcome

Skeletal muscle adaptation to immobilization and subsequent retraining in elderly men: No effect of anti-inflammatory medication.

Randomized Controlled Trial

Human

2016 Sep

Contradicting (0)

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No contradicting evidence found

Gold Standard Evidence Needed

According to GRADE and EBM methodology, here is what ideal scientific evidence would look like to definitively prove or disprove this specific claim, ordered from strongest to weakest evidence.

Source Study

Skeletal muscle adaptation to immobilization and subsequent retraining in elderly men: No effect of anti-inflammatory medication.

Score: 46

DOI: 10.1016/j.exger.2016.05.009

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If older guys between 60 and 80 don’t use their legs for two weeks, they lose leg muscle and strength—but just two weeks of exercise plus drinking protein twice a day can bring it all back.

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Taking a lot of ibuprofen while working out might slow down your muscle growth — people on high-dose ibuprofen gained less muscle over 8 weeks compared to those on a low-dose aspirin-like drug.

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