Acetominophen and the Natural Swimmer

Many people turn to acetominophen over totally natural healing methods. As swimmers, there will be time when we experience pain and we will need to manage it.This is a pain reliever that can also help to reduce swelling and calm a fever if you have one. It is listed as analgesics and is a medication that does not require a prescription and is easily found available in brand names, as well as generic form. For swimmers, it can be a great tool to help manage muscle pain and swimmers ear.

Metabolism in the Body:

When you take acetominophen, it is metabolized through the liver. This begins by going through sulphation and glucuronidation. Then it is passed through the body, as waste normally is. While this pain releiver in its standard form is relatively harmless, it can cause damage when excessive amounts are taken into the body. This is because they will begin to saturate both the glucuronidation and sulphation pathways, resulting in dangerous levels of toxicity. This is why it is critical to follow the dosage instructions of your physician.

The toxic levels of acetominophen stay in the body for long periods of time and continue to worsen, until the system is flushed. If they are ignored, this can result in irreparable damage caused to the liver. This includes P-450 activity. This concern can be worse, when there is chronic alcohol abuse, poor nutrition and other factors that impact the liver.

Swimmers Use of in Moderation for Pain:

Swimmers looking to use this pain releiver to help with swimmer’s ear and pain in their muscles and joints should do so in moderation. If they find that there continues to be a need for the medication, it can be a good idea to speak with a physician and have an examination done. This can help to determine alternative medications and treatment options that are available, so that further damage to the liver doesn’t occur.

In the case of an overdose, it is important to contact emergency services. Treatment will include charcoal, laxatives and medications that can reduce the toxicity effects of the medication. Symptoms of an overdose include, but are not limited to:

Pain in the abdominal area.
Diarrhea
Jaundice
Nausea
Vomiting
Excessive sweating
Irritability
Coma
Death

When used properly, acetaminophen will be a great choice for swimmers to handle the pain that comes from their time in the water. Just make sure to take appropriate dosage which is no more than 1,000 MG every 6 – 8 hours, with no more than 4,000 mg in a 24 hour period. It is critical you follow those guidelines to avoid doing damage to your liver. After all, you want to spend your time in the water swimming, rather than in a hospital bed wondering how liver damage is going to impact your life.

Today's Daily Swimming Workout:

Warm-up: 500 with two strokes of your choice

Kick with long swim fins: 4 X 100 as 25 butterfly, 75 freestyle

Swim with swim fins: 8 X 50 alternating backstroke and freestyle by 50's

Pull with hand paddles: 5 X 200 as 50 breaststroke, 150 freestyle

Swim 400 Individual medley for technique

2 X 200 Individual medley(IM) with the first 25 of each stroke kicking

4 X 100 alternating 100 IM and 100 freestyle

4 x 25 sprint your choice of strokes

Warm-down: 200 your choice of stroke tai-chi style

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