Exercise has many benefits for people with multiple sclerosis (MS), such as improved physical symptoms, mood, fatigue, and cognition. However, many people with MS refrain from exercising because of the discomfort of exhaustion and overheating that they experience. This study investigates the use of aspirin before exercise as a treatment to reduce overheating and exhaustion, thereby availing many more people with MS the opportunity to benefit from exercise. The investigators recently published the first-ever report of elevated body temperature in relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) patients relative to healthy controls, and elevated temperature was linked to worse fatigue. This finding that body temperature is elevated and linked to fatigue in RRMS lays the groundwork for a paradigm shift in our understanding and treatment of fatigue. That is, the focus shifts from exogenous to endogenous temperature, and from stimulant medication to cooling treatments. A recent study comparing healthy adults to adults with MS showed that whereas exercise increased body temperature in both groups, only in the MS group was it correlated with exhaustion. The reason for this may relate to the elevation in resting body temperature in relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) patients relative to healthy controls. The finding is clinically meaningful, as elevated body temperature was correlated with worse fatigue in patients. Exercise Aim: To determine whether pretreatment with ASA (compared to placebo: within subject crossover design) before exercise results in improved exercise performance (i.e., increased time-to-exhaustion). The investigators hypothesize that participants will tolerate exercise for longer after taking ASA than placebo. This hypothesis is based on a) demonstrated efficacy of antipyretic for reducing body temperature during exercise in healthy controls, b) demonstrated efficacy of antipyretic for reducing fatigue in non-exercising MS patients, and c) demonstrated efficacy of elaborate (unblinded) cooling treatments (e.g., cooling garments, cooling hand chamber) for improving exercise performance in MS patients. Note that this project is especially important for MS patients, who have a disease-specific body temperature elevation and sensitivity to heat (i.e., Uhthoff's).
Age range
18 Years – 60 Years
Sex
ALL
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A starting point for the conversation — always confirm anything about your own eligibility, costs, and care with the study team and your doctor.
Change in Time to Exhaustion
Timeframe: ASA's effect will be assessed from date of randomization until cessation of exercise test at each of two study visits to be completed within a 14-day period.