You already know how important it is to eat a healthy diet when you’re trying to build lean body mass. Restricting calories or eating too much junk food can make it harder to get the toned, defined look most people are looking for. But diet isn’t the only factor that can affect your body composition – medications have an impact as well. Surprisingly, two common types of medications that many active women take make it more challenging to build muscle.
Oral Contraceptives
Millions of healthy, active women take oral contraceptives, and most aren’t aware that they can affect their ability to build lean body mass. Researchers at Texas A & M University and the University of Pittsburg looked at birth control pills and their effect on muscle gains in healthy women. Researchers divided 73 healthy, young women into two groups. Both groups of women took part in a 10-week resistance training program consisting of both upper and lower body exercises. During each session, they did three sets of each exercise at 75% of their 1-rep max. Both groups consumed similar diets with adequate amounts of protein and calories. The only difference was one group of women was using oral contraceptives.
When researchers took blood samples from both groups of women, they found lower levels of anabolic hormones that help to build lean body mass in the bloodstreams of women on oral contraceptives and higher levels of cortisol, a hormone that breaks down muscle tissue and contributes to tummy fat. That’s not a good thing when it comes to building lean body mass. In addition, women who weren’t taking oral contraceptives gained 60% more lean body mass than women who were. Oral contraceptives may have benefits but boosting muscle growth isn’t one of them.
Over-the-Counter Pain Relievers
Lots of athletes take non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications like Advil when they’re injured or sore, but they may not be aware of how they affect muscle growth in response to exercise. These medications block the production of prostaglandins, and prostaglandins play a role in protein synthesis.
According to a study published in the American Journal of Physiology, Endocrinology, and Metabolism, NSAIDs blunt the increase in protein synthesis that occurs after a strength-training workout. That means less muscle growth. This has already been shown in animals, but this study found a similar response in humans too. Surprisingly, acetaminophen had the same impact on protein synthesis even though it’s not known to block prostaglandin synthesis.
The Take-Home Message?
It’s best to avoid using over-the-counter pain medications unless you really need them and to use them only for short periods of time. Whether or not to use oral contraceptives is a personal decision and should take a variety of factors into account, but women who are focused on building lean body mass may want to consider other alternatives. At one time, oral contraceptives were linked to weight gain, but this appears to be less of an issue with new birth control pills that have lower hormone levels.
The Bottom Line?
Be aware of the medications you’re taking. A number of drugs can cause weight gain and some like oral contraceptives and over-the-counter pain medications can make it harder to get results from your strength-training workout. If you’re taking medications, talk to your doctor about the side effects.
References:
Science Daily “Oral Contraceptives Impair Muscle Gains in Women”
PLOS Medicine “Cardiovascular Risk with Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs: Systematic Review of Population-Based Controlled Observational Studies”
American Journal of Physiology, Endocrinology, and Metabolism. March 1, 2002. Vol. 282, No.3.
Science Daily “Birth Control Pills Do Not Cause Weight Gain, New Research Suggests”
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