Limited effect of over-the-counter doses of ibuprofen on mechanisms regulating muscle hypertrophy during resistance training in young adults.

We have previously shown that maximal over-the-counter doses of ibuprofen, compared with low doses of acetylsalicylic acid, reduce muscle hypertrophy in young individuals after 8 wk of resistance training. Because the mechanism behind this effect has not been fully elucidated, we here investigated skeletal muscle molecular responses and myofiber adaptations in response to acute and chronic resistance training with concomitant drug intake. Thirty-one young (aged 18-35 yr) healthy men ( n = 17) and women ( n = 14) were randomized to receive either ibuprofen (IBU; 1,200 mg daily; n = 15) or acetylsalicylic acid (ASA; 75 mg daily; n = 16) while undergoing 8 wk of knee extension training. Muscle biopsies from the vastus lateralis were obtained before, at week 4 after an acute exercise session, and after 8 wk of resistance training and analyzed for mRNA markers and mTOR signaling, as well as quantification of total RNA content (marker of ribosome biogenesis) and immunohistochemical analysis of muscle fiber size, satellite cell content, myonuclear accretion, and capillarization. There were only two treatment × time interaction in selected molecular markers after acute exercise (atrogin-1 and MuRF1 mRNA), but several exercise effects. Muscle fiber size, satellite cell and myonuclear accretion, and capillarization were not affected by chronic training or drug intake. RNA content increased comparably (∼14%) in both groups. Collectively, these data suggest that established acute and chronic hypertrophy regulators (including mTOR signaling, ribosome biogenesis, satellite cell content, myonuclear accretion, and angiogenesis) were not differentially affected between groups and therefore do not explain the deleterious effects of ibuprofen on muscle hypertrophy in young adults. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Here we show that mTOR signaling, fiber size, ribosome biogenesis, satellite cell content, myonuclear accretion, and angiogenesis were not differentially affected between groups undergoing 8 wk of resistance training with concomitant anti-inflammatory medication (ibuprofen versus low-dose aspirin). Atrogin-1 and MuRF-1 mRNA were more downregulated after acute exercise in the low-dose aspirin group than in the ibuprofen group. Taken together it appears that these established hypertrophy regulators do not explain the previously reported deleterious effects of high doses of ibuprofen on muscle hypertrophy in young adults.