KILLING THE PAIN OR CHASING THE HIGH?

Pain is a part of riding dirtbikes. Nobody gets out of this game without crashing, and from scraped elbows to broken bones, we all know crashing hurts. Taking a tablet to ease the pain is so commonplace that few of us ever stop to think of the effects the drugs we take in have on us beyond easing the discomfort. I’ve smashed so much ibuprofen in my life because it works on the smaller stuff, but there is plenty of research available now on the increased risk of heart attack and stroke (Federal Drug Administration), or even decreased levels of testosterone in men (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America) after prolonged use of ibuprofen as found in Nurofen and Advil. This can get really nasty when you look at a powerful anti-inflammatory like Toradol, which is at the centre of a lawsuit against the American NFL (National Football League) by retired players.

The NFL has been woefully inadequate when it comes to looking after the health of itspiece called ‘Painkillers in the NFL’, “Consuming over 183 pills a week, not knowing the effects it had on my liver and my kidneys. Or, more importantly, my development of split-personality with my violent tendencies that my family had to deal with.”