What happens to old men's leg muscles when they can't move, then start exercising again with protein and painkillers?
Skeletal muscle adaptation to immobilization and subsequent retraining in elderly men: No effect of anti-inflammatory medication.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Older men wore a leg cast for 2 weeks, making their leg muscles smaller and weaker. Then they exercised and drank protein. Their muscles got back to normal in 2 weeks and got even stronger after 6 weeks. Taking ibuprofen didn’t change how muscles recovered.
Surprising Findings
Ibuprofen had no effect on muscle recovery or growth despite theoretical expectations
Some prior research suggested NSAIDs might impair muscle adaptation by blocking inflammation, while others thought they could enhance recovery. Here, in elderly men, ibuprofen simply did nothing—neither helping nor hindering.
Practical Takeaways
After a period of inactivity, older adults can regain lost leg muscle in as little as 2 weeks by combining resistance retraining with daily whey protein (40g total).
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Older men wore a leg cast for 2 weeks, making their leg muscles smaller and weaker. Then they exercised and drank protein. Their muscles got back to normal in 2 weeks and got even stronger after 6 weeks. Taking ibuprofen didn’t change how muscles recovered.
Surprising Findings
Ibuprofen had no effect on muscle recovery or growth despite theoretical expectations
Some prior research suggested NSAIDs might impair muscle adaptation by blocking inflammation, while others thought they could enhance recovery. Here, in elderly men, ibuprofen simply did nothing—neither helping nor hindering.
Practical Takeaways
After a period of inactivity, older adults can regain lost leg muscle in as little as 2 weeks by combining resistance retraining with daily whey protein (40g total).
Publication
Journal
Experimental gerontology
Year
2016
Authors
K. Dideriksen, A. Boesen, J. Kristiansen, S. Magnusson, P. Schjerling, L. Holm, Michael Kjaer
Related Content
Claims (4)
When you lift weights, your muscles get a little damaged and inflamed — and that’s actually a good thing. This inflammation helps your muscles heal and get stronger, and usually your body can handle the recovery just fine on its own.
After older guys rest their legs for a bit, getting back to strength training with extra protein might help their leg muscles grow back stronger than before they took the break.
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.
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.