Ibuprofen appears to affect the pituitary gland that's involved in production of the male hormone testosterone, as well as other processes linked to sperm production.

For short-term ibuprofen use the effects of compensated hypogonadism are reversible, however the researchers state how it is unknown whether these effects are reversible for long-term ibuprofen use.

An Indian sports medicine specialist said the 1,200mg dose used in the study is an "extremely high dose" that is not ordinarily used even in acute pain. They will try to find out whether the men taking lower doses of ibuprofen are also facing same hormonal effects or not, said study co-author Bernard Jégou, director of the National Institute for Research on Environmental and Occupational Health in France. Those who suffer from chronic pains such as rheumatism also regularly use Ibuprofen.

This study also looked at a couple of other hormones produced by the testes and found that they, too, were reduced by ibuprofen.

The researchers conducted the research on a group of 31 volunteers (all male) aged between 18 and 35 years. These could include the development of congenital malformations, which is what led the researchers to wonder how the drugs would affect adults.

While it is important to note that this was a small study and more research is clearly called for, the fact that ibuprofen is so widely and casually used by so many men makes it a point of concern, particularly for those who intend to start a family.

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Ibuprofen has been linked to fertility problems in men.

The new study has given major information about lower fertility in males. Fourteen of them took a daily dosage of ibuprofen that many professional and amateur athletes take: 600 milligrams twice a day.

Fortunately, the disorder related to ibuprofen use is totally reversible over a short period of time - as it was during the study.

The study shows that it has a negative impact on the testicles of young men, altering their sex hormone production and affecting their reproductive health. But, don't worry, if you just want to tiresome the pain of a minor ankle sprain for a week or two, Jégou says, "it is sure that these effects are reversible". However, it is recommended that if men (or women) need to take it for more than three days consecutively then they should first consult their family doctor'.

In the subjects, the condition was temporary, but study leads told the Guardian it could become a permanent problem in cases of long term overuse.