Aspirin Does Not Affect Exercise Performance

Abstract

A single-blind, cross-over study was carried out to evaluate the effects of acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) on cardiorespiratory performance during exercise. Eighteen young men, 9 athletes and 9 untrained but active subjects, performed a progressive maximal exercise test on a cycle ergometer (30 watt, 3 min steps, starting at 60 watt) on three different occasions, after a single administration of plain aspirin (1000 mg of ASA), chewable buffered aspirin (1000mg of ASA and 600mg of calcium carbonate) and placebo. Continuous measurement of breath-by-breath ventilation, oxygen consumption, carbon dioxide output, respiratory frequency and heart rate was carried-out at rest and during the exercise test. Blood lactate concentration was measured just before the start of exercise and at the third minute of each step in order to detect the anaerobic threshold. The pharmacokinetics of aspirin during exercise was also investigated in ten of the eighteen participants. The analysis of all investigated variables did not show any statistically significant difference between treatments, suggesting that a single dose of 1000 mg of aspirin does not affect physical performance during submaximal and maximal exercise.

Key words

Acetylsalicylic acid - exercise - oxygen consumption - anaerobic threshold - plasma concentration