Gareth Davies

Non steroids are known to be incredibly dangerous when running a marathon. I am incredibly grateful to @DailyMailUK for publishing my advice on this. Please share the article so others know about the risks. There is no doubt that gels are less dangerous than tablets but that does not mean that they are guaranteed to be risk free. They get absorbed into the body and so theoretically they can cause the same issues if taken in large amounts. The absence of conclusive evidence is not evidence of an absence of an affect. That’s why for the Brighton Marathon, an @LondonMarathon organised race, we made it clear people should not take the risk of use the gels before the race. Crucially there are significant risks of an association and partnership between any race organisers and any manufacturer of NSAID products – key being because people may not realise the difference and think if a gel is partnered to a race then the NSAID tablets are safe. NSAIDS are more than running. They can cause heat stroke, kidney damage and gut damage. They may help you get to the start line. They may stop you getting to the finish line. There 100% is a role for NSAIDS and NSAID gels. I prescribe them and think Voltarol gel is a great product in the right situation. Its just I strongly believe the role is not just before a marathon race. Please comment, share, like etc if you agree or have anything to add to the debate.