Dangerous Side Effect of Ibuprofen in Athletes

1. Dangerous Side Effect of Ibuprofen in Athletes A look into current research on ibuprofen use in athletes and a popular adaptation of the same research. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise The New York Times Well Blog Arrangement Just by glancing at the two articles, it is clear that they are fundamentally arranged differently. The ACSM article follows the structure outlined by most scientific journals; the abstract and introduction are presented first followed by the methods, then the results and finally a discussion. Each section is given a clear heading making them easy to find. The New York Times article does not follow a distinct structural outline. It beings with background information on previous studies and then presents the current study. There are no formal sections. The methods, results and discussions are weaved together in a narrative form. Also of interest is how the authors arrange the text on the page. The ACSM contains blocky paragraphs in columns to provide a large amount of information in a limited amount of space. The New York Times article employs the use of smaller paragraph sizes and spacing so that readers are not overwhelmed by the volume of the text. The New York Times is a multi-billion dollar multimedia news and information company. The New York Times aims to provide up to date and relevant news articles to a general population. The article “For Athletes, Risks From Ibuprofen Use”, appeared in the New York Times as part of the Well Blog. The purpose of this blog is to engage New York Times readers in current health and wellness topics. The blog presents easy to read reviews of research covering topics from fitness and nutrition to studies on cancer. Articles in the blog do not require prior knowledge of scientific principles to be understandable and easily read. The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) is composed of more than 45,000 members and certified professionals in the Sports Medicine and Exercise Science fields. The ACSM aims to advance and integrate scientific research in exercise science and sports medicine for educational and practical applications. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise is a research journal sponsored by the American College of Sports Medicine. The journal presents current research in Sports Medicine. It is read by ACSM members, Sports Medicine professionals, students, and research professionals. Articles are catered to an audience versed in scientific and medical language. Example of heading Blocky text vs. short paragraphs The ACSM article appeals to the scientific nature of its audience by providing them with a familiar format and the use of data and graphs. The detailed title of the article allows readers to know exactly what they will be reading about and the abstract provides a brief overview to further spark interest in the readers. The New York Times uses a more journalistic approach by hooking readers with a catchy title. They provide a picture to interest athletes. The first few sentences of the article are designed to relate the article to the reader. The difference in arrangement speaks volumes to the different audiences each journal expects to encounter. The ACSM journal knows that their readers are more than likely already interested in the topics discussed and use the space to provide factual information in a detailed and familiar format. The New York Times article understands that most readers will be skimming the blog and uses a catchy headline and simple structure to hook readers and interest them in what may be a new topic to them. Style and Tone The style and tone of both articles is different as well. The ACSM article uses scientific language liberally. Once such example is the use of the term NSAIDs to refer to the class of drugs to which ibuprofen belongs. It provides detailed explanations of the mechanisms of NSAID use in the body. The article uses frequent citations from many different research papers but never uses a direct quotation. Argument and Claims Both articles set out to make the same claim. Both articles report that the use of ibuprofen or NSAIDs prior to exercise results in damage to the intestines. Both articles also point out that long-term effects are as of yet known but that proactive use of ibuprofen offers little benefit. Examples of scientific language Both articles arrive at same conclusion. On the contrary, The New York Times article stays away from the use of scientific language. The Times replaces the term, “NSAID”, with the more commonly recognized “ibuprofen”. The article uses simplified explanations to discuss the complex mechanisms from the ACSM article. Unlike the ACSM article, the Times article does not shy away from direct quotations. The article includes quotes from the author of the ACSM article and from other experts in the field. The way the articles arrive at these conclusions is slightly different. The ACSM article provides the factual data from experiments to support their claims. Included in the article are graphs to visually present the data. They also draw on information from articles in other research journals. The Times article stays away from hard data and complex graphs. They draw on summaries of the ACSM article and quotations from experts in the field to support their claims. Graph from ACSM and quote from expert in Times article. Examples of direct quote and simple language Sources Reynolds, G. “ For Athletes, Risks From Ibuprofen Use.” The New York Times. 2012. Wijck, K.V. “Aggravation of Exercise-Induced Intestinal Injury by Ibuprofen in Athletes.” Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. 2012.