No, it's not surprising that 60 percent of triathletes use non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as aspirin, ibuprofen and naproxen sodium (Aleve). Nor is it surprising that a quarter of them take the drugs before a race, and nearly half take them during the race. What is surprising, as reported in the Los Angeles Times, is that a high percentage of triathletes are unaware of the potential side effects of the drugs. The Times reports that a survey of participants of the 2008 Brazil Ironman Triathlon revealed that 63.8 percent knew about potential gastrointestinal complications, but only 31.1 percent were aware of possible renal complications, 20.9 percent about kidney failure and 26 percent about stomach bleeding. The study can be found in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, which publishes a second study showing of NSAID use among athletes in the 2007 Pan-American games. Among 1,261 athletes tested, 63 percent reported drug use. Of those, 64 percent use NSAIDs.
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This article should have expanded how much NSAIDs taken would cause a problem. Usually it is after continuous use for a prolonged period when problems pop up.