Use of diuretics puts the boxer’s health at risk
How many times have we heard about the use of diuretics in sport?
Unfortunately, this practice is more common than we can imagine, yet the use of this type of drug is not harmless at all. On the contrary, its use can seriously put health at risk and even result in a tragic fatality.
To understand diuretics, we must first understand what they are and how they work. Diuretics are drugs whose effect on the body is to increase the excretion of urine. This is achieved by increasing the renal elimination of sodium chloride, which is followed passively, by an osmotic mechanism, namely water.
The objective is to increase the renal loss of salt and water, producing an increase in urine volume, with the consequent loss of weight. It is important to keep in mind that the weight reduction achieved with the intake of diuretics is proportional and depends on the depletion of sodium chloride that they induce.
They are also known as “masking agents” because, specifically speaking in sports, they are intended to hide the presence of some specific illegal drugs during doping tests, and their use has the potential to deteriorate or cover up the prohibited substances in urine.
Concerning boxing, diuretics are used to achieve an artificial reduction of weight in order to compete in lower divisions and also, as we already mentioned with the intention of preventing the detection of other prohibited substances.
It is very important to note that diuretics rank fifth in the frequency of the most widely used drug class with 6.7% of all adverse analytical results worldwide.
There are several types of diuretics, grouped into the following families: potent diuretics (Furosemide type), thiazides (Hydrochlorothiazide type), carbonic Anhydrase inhibitors (Acetazolamide type), mercurials (Mersalil type) and Aldosterone inhibitors (Spironolactone type).
It is necessary to understand that the improper use of this type of drugs not only dehydrates the body, but also causes a set of side effects in the body that put the lives of those who consume them at risk.
Those risks are …
Arterial hypertension
Congestive heart failure
Dehydration
Ascites of liver cirrhosis
Alteration of blood cells, with decrease in white blood cells and platelets
Gastrointestinal disorders, such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea
Increased uric acid, which can cause acute gout symptoms
Increase in blood lipoproteins, with incidence in the risk of arteriosclerosis
Allergic reactions Decreased hearing
Kidney disorders
Muscle weakness and cramps
Heart rhythm disorders
Some diuretics make the skin more sensitive to the sun, which may provoke burns, irritations (a recent study by the Danish Cancer Society warns that some of these drugs may increase the risk of skin cancer).
From certain limits of water loss, physical performance decreases in anyone: a loss of 3 to 4% of the weight of a subject, caused by loss of water and salts, causes a decrease in their physical performance from 10 to a fifteen percent.
In the event of large losses of water and salt, a picture of extracellular dehydration can occur, characterized by hypotension, tachycardia, poor peripheral blood supply and decreased kidney function, which in advanced stages can lead to coma and death.
At the WBC we know that it is imperative to alert all boxers to the terrible risks that the use of prohibited substances entails. Since unfortunately, many of them are unaware of the danger and the risks they are running, as the lack of information leads them to trust unscrupulous people who are willing to ruthlessly exploit them.
The Clean Boxing Program is a priority for the WBC, as the intention is to ensure the safety of our boxers, through guidance and information.
If you want to know the list of substances prohibited by the VADA
Voluntary Anti-Doping Association, go to:
Sources:
https://www.sabervivirtv.com/medicina-general/como-actuan-diureticos-efectos-secundarios_1156
RQ BOXING INSTITUTE / Roberto Quesada /
http://entrenadoenelboxeo.blogspot.com/2011/03/doping-en-el-boxeo.html
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