Diuretics
What are they?
Diuretics are drugs that change your body's natural balance of fluids and salts
(electrolytes) and can lead to dehydration. This loss of water can decrease an
athlete's weight, helping him or her to compete in a lighter weight class,
which many athletes prefer. Diuretics may also help athletes pass drug tests by
diluting their urine and are sometimes referred to as a "masking"
agent.
Risks
Diuretics taken at any dose, even medically recommended doses, predispose
athletes to adverse effects such as:
- Dehydration
- Muscle cramps
- Exhaustion
- Dizziness
- Fainting
- Potassium deficiency
- Heart arrhythmia
- Drop in blood pressure
- Loss of coordination and balance
- Heatstroke
- Death
Even if the
first ten listed risks associated with diuretics are not enough to dissuade you
from using them, surely that final one should!
Is anything worth losing your life over?
If you are fighting to protect your loved ones, then I would say yes;
your loved ones are worth giving up your life for;
but to throw away your life to gain a few moments of fame or success,
definitely not!
Tomorrow, I take
a look at a drug that has had quite a history in elite sports like Rugby. It is often recommended to players by the
coaching staff yet these recommendations are often made without full
consideration of the risks associated with its use.
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