Study Shows CrossFit Can Decrease Need for Prescription Drugs
CrossFit is useful for getting ludicrously jacked and having workout times to brag about at the box, right? Of course, it's also beneficial for building functional strength, increasing muscle mass and improving cardiovascular endurance.
So, maybe it's not a surprise that this type of mixed modal, total-body training has now been shown to potentially reduce the need to use prescription drugs in people living with long-term conditions.
Or maybe it is a surprise, given CrossFit has earned a false reputation for only being for the super fit and strong. However, the research, published in Integrative and Complementary Medicine, found many people performing CrossFit workouts had previously been diagnosed with conditions ranging from depression to chronic pain. It went on to look at how engaging with CrossFit helped them manage those conditions.
Before we continue, remember, the only people who know if you should be on medication are you and your doctor, so this study isn't meant to be prescriptive.
While the sport prides itself on being for everybody, those with chronic conditions are not as able to simply turn up and make it through a tough workout. Being told to exercise more, without support, isn't the answer to managing illness. Memberships at CrossFit Boxes can also be expensive, meaning there are socio-economic issues to consider when presenting the pursuit as a possible intervention for illness.
Nevertheless, if you also have a long-term condition, the study could be interesting to take a look at.
The Study
Researchers from Nottingham Trent and Loughborough University wanted to study CrossFit as a means to support chronic conditions due to its emphasis on functional movement and blended approach to exercise.
The type of training performed in CrossFit gyms can benefit cardiovascular and metabolic health, brain function, body composition, glucose regulation and reduce the risk of mortality. Given there are 26 million people in the UK with at least one chronic condition, which can impact overall health and are responsible for 74% of global mortality, finding ways to manage and reduce illness is vital.
To look at whether CrossFit could help those with chronic conditions, researchers recruited 1,211 people from the UK who took part in the sport to answer a survey on their health, training and any medical interventions they'd had.
The Results
The survey found:
280 people took at least one prescription drug to manage a health condition prior to starting CrossFit.
Some of the most common health conditions included anxiety and depression, asthma, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and chronic pain.
54% of participants who’d been taking a prescription drug before starting CrossFit said they decreased their dosage by half or more after starting. This included 69 people who had stopped taking their medication entirely.
Younger people (those aged 20-29) were most likely to reduce their medication. In this group, 43% cut their prescription dosage by more than half and 27% stopped using it altogether.
40% of all participants said they had fewer visits to the doctor after starting CrossFit.
71 of people reported cancelling or postponing surgeries since taking up CrossFit. Of those, 55% said it was because their symptoms improved, while 31% said they no longer needed surgery at all.
What This Means For Us
CrossFit training might help you manage or improve the symptoms of any chronic conditions you have.
'While our study can’t directly prove that CrossFit caused these changes, the effects that CrossFit has on so many aspects of health may help explain why regular exercisers saw a decrease in their prescription drug use,' co-authors of the study, Athalie Redwood-Brown and Jen Wilson told The Conversation.
The biggest illnesses that saw improvements after CrossFit were arthritis and back pain, which makes sense given functional exercise can improve muscle mass and strength, increase mobility and, in turn, reduce pain and pressure on the joints.
Those with mental health conditions also managed to reduce the use of medicines such as anti-depressants, likely due to both the physiological and social elements of the sport.
'Because CrossFit is often done as a group in a gym setting, it fosters a sense of community, team spirit and support. This sense of community may enhance mental health and wellbeing. Exercise also releases endorphins – chemicals in the brain that boost happiness and decrease pain,' explain Redwood-Brown and Wilson.
Conditions related to metabolism, such as type 2 diabetes, can also be improved due to CrossFit's ability to build muscle and improve cardiovascular fitness.
Of course, you don't necessarily need to do CrossFit to get these results. Any type of functional, mixed stimulus training approach that helps you to get stronger, fitter and more mobile can help to improve the health of everyone, including those with chronic conditions.
The Bottom Line
Functional exercise is a great way to support your body and brain when they're battling a chronic illness. CrossFit in particular may be a good sport to take up as the workouts are social and focus on multiple elements of health and fitness.
If you are struggling with a health condition, you don't need to jump straight into an intense, hour-long weighted workout. Start increasing your movement in small increments and always make sure you ask for support and guidance.
If and when you get into training, don't come off your meds just because some people in this study managed to. Always talk to your doctor about how best to manage your health and your conditions.
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