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Lead Stories: Friday, July 18, 2008

Death of young runner linked to over-use of muscle creams

Posted June 12th, 2007 at 1:01 PM by Courtney Albon

Section: News & Results, Gear & Apparel, Track & Field, Sports Medicine

The sudden death of 17-year-old Arielle Newman, a cross country runner at Notre Dame High School in Staten Island New York, has been linked to a chemical contained in common muscle creams such as Ben Gay and Icy Hot.

Doctors said that the award-winning cross country runner died from absorbing too large an amount of methyl salicylate, an anti-inflammatory found in muscles creams that many athletes use to reduce pain before and after an event.

The medical examiner claimed that the level of Methyl salicylate found in Newman’s body at the time of death was six times the safe amount. Because Newman was running, her body absorbed the chemical at a faster rate.
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VIDEO: Muscle creams blamed for tragic death of teenage track star from Staten Island

Posted June 11th, 2007 at 3:07 PM by Adam Jacobs

Section: News & Results, Gear & Apparel, Track & Field, Sports Medicine

CBS reports that a rare and toxic combination of common non-prescription muscle creams, such as IcyHot and BenGay, are being blamed for the death of 17-year-old track star Arielle Newman of Staten Island, NY.

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TFS Review: Boiron Arnica Gel

Posted January 18th, 2007 at 8:00 AM by Valerie Cerami

Section: Running & Training, Injury & Rehab, Gear & Apparel, Product Reviews, Sports Medicine, Special Features, Health & Fitness, Injury & Rehab, TFS Reviews

If you’d like to try a holistic approach to muscle soreness, you should give Boiron’s Arnica Gel a try. We found it to have a far superior odor than traditional favorites (i.e. - IcyHot), but yet often more effective for pain relief. Below are the results of TFS’s product testing, small-scale double-blind trials, and overall review.

Product: Boiron’s Arnica Gel
Price: $5.76 (1.5 oz.); $9.12 (2.5 oz.)
Rating: Very Good 7.8/10.0
Pros: Non-greasy; very mild smell; all-natural; quickly absorbed; effective on mild muscle pain and soreness
Cons: More expensive than traditional remedies; comes in tube instead of a more convenient “roll-on” form
Overall: Very good choice for runner’s to use at home for reducing muscle soreness and helping to prevent injuries without the offensive odor inherent to analgesics like Icy Hot and Tiger Balm.

The arnica gel that we tested is made by Boiron, a major manufacturer of homeopathic products. Homeopathic medicines use therapeutically active micro-doses of mineral, botanical, and biological substances. Homeopathy has been used for hundreds of years and is currently recommended to millions by health-care providers around the world.

Arnica is an all-natural treatment option that is marketed by Boiron, and many other holistic manufacturers, for the relief of: stiffness, aches and pains, muscle soreness, swelling and discoloration from bruises, and other minor ailments.
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TFS Review: BodyGlide Muscle Formula

Posted December 14th, 2006 at 6:00 AM by Trish Monks

Section: Running & Training, Injury & Rehab, Gear & Apparel, Miscellaneous, Sports Medicine, Special Features, Health & Fitness, Injury & Rehab, TFS Reviews

TFS makes every effort to be unbiased and objective when performing product reviews; often doing double-blind tests to ensure such high standards. However, it should be noted up-front that our team, in general, does not find muscle/heat rubs to be the most effective means of treating muscle soreness, pain, fatigue, etc.

Product: BodyGlide Muscle Formula
Price: $7.99 (1.3 oz), $12.99 (2.5 oz)
Rating: Average 5.85/10.0
Pros: Easy to apply; water & sweat resistant
Cons: Requires a lot to feel an effect; the smell
Overall: If you usually use heat rubs like Icy Hot, then this is a better choice. Otherwise, you’re better off using some combination of massage, heat/ice, stretching and The Stick to treat sore muscles.

Note: Although this review is authored by just one of TFS’s team members, it reflects the cumulative results of the entire groups’ trial.

Effectiveness - 5.5 - Muscle Formula is marketed as being able to help treat and/or address minor pain and soreness. It also claims to aid in the healing process and to improve circulation & muscle and joint flexibility.
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