There is a common but mistaken belief that diuretics are safe because they are “just diuretics.” In reality, their danger to health surpasses the risk of using anabolic steroids. In this material, you will learn about the main reason for the harm of diuretics, the side effects of their use, and why they can be fatal.
Main thoughts:
History has many cases of professional bodybuilders dying right on stage due to the use of diuretics
Contraindications for diuretics include: diabetes, heart and liver problems, kidney failure
In the history of bodybuilding, there are many cases (and they periodically recur) when the use of diuretics ended in death or hospitalization. Moreover, it was diuretics that were to blame, not anabolic steroids or growth hormone, which are often scapegoated for all health problems (although their undeniable harm is not dismissed).
In general, the need for hospitalization, let alone fatal cases, is a rare side effect of using steroids, hormones, stimulants, and even drugs.
Important: From the perspective of consequences and degree of harm to health, diuretics can be considered the most dangerous among all pharmacological drugs in bodybuilding.
The side effects of diuretics can be more serious than even those from anabolic steroids and hormones: their use can lead to hospitalization and death, which is quite rare with steroids and other pharmacological drugs
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Diuretics in Bodybuilding: Types and Mechanism of Action
The Main Reason for the Harm of Diuretics Lies in Their Mechanism of Action
All diuretics work in the same way – they prevent the absorption of sodium by the kidneys, which leads to its excretion from the body through urine.
What does this provide? And what does sodium have to do with it?
Important
: It is sodium that retains water in the body: one teaspoon of salt (which contains sodium, as is well known) is approximately 2 liters of water. If sodium is removed, a large amount of water will leave the body along with it.
The problem is that it is impossible to remove only sodium, as the action of diuretics is non-selective. Along with it, other important minerals are washed out of the body: potassium, calcium, magnesium, and chloride.
This is the main reason for the colossal harm of diuretics and their characteristic side effects.
Important
: The sudden removal of a significant amount of trace elements can be compared to the action of biochemical weapons: it leads to a colossal distortion of the chemical composition of internal fluids (electrolytes) that fill the cells and ensure the course of chemical reactions, the transmission of nerve impulses, and many other functions.
Why is this dangerous?
Let’s take the heart as an example. Very often, when using diuretics, death occurs due to its stoppage. Why does this happen? The minerals listed above (especially potassium, magnesium, and calcium) are part of the composition of muscle cells and the fluids in the spaces between them. They participate in the processes of conducting nerve impulses and the contraction of muscle cells (including heart cells). A decrease in their concentration in the body due to the action of a diuretic can disrupt the conductivity of impulses or the ability of muscle cells to contract – the heart will stop.
The main danger and insidiousness of diuretics is that they harm the body not at one point, as in physical trauma or gunshot wounds, but their mechanism of action is similar to chemical weapons, where the damage occurs from within, at the cellular level.
The risk of serious side effects from the use of diuretics is particularly high for bodybuilders, as they typically employ other methods to eliminate fluid from the body (restricting water intake, following special diets, such as low-carbohydrate) significantly increasing the degree of dehydration during “cutting.”
The main reason for the harm caused by diuretics is the disruption of the balance of essential life minerals (potassium, sodium, calcium, magnesium). These minerals are crucial for muscle contraction, nerve impulse conduction, and a vast number of other chemical reactions.
Side Effects of Diuretics
All side effects of diuretics are somehow related to the imbalance of electrolytes in the body.
The natural and most obvious consequence of their use is frequent urination: this is the only way to eliminate large volumes of fluid from the body.
Other characteristic negative effects include:
- dehydration;
- muscle cramps;
- dizziness or fainting;
- headache;
- worsening vision;
- loss of appetite;
- physical weakness;
- rash;
- gout;
- drop in blood pressure;
- loss of coordination and balance;
- increased sensitivity of the skin to sunlight, making it easier to get sunburned (typical for thiazide diuretics);
- formation of deficiencies in essential minerals such as potassium, magnesium, calcium, sodium;
- increased levels of uric acid in the blood;
- disruption of sexual function;
- death.
Cases of Real Harm from Diuretics in Professional Bodybuilding
1988 – professional bodybuilder Albert Beckles collapses on stage in convulsions. He is revived by medics and it is found that the cause was severe dehydration due to the use of diuretics.
1992 – professional bodybuilder Mohammed Benaziza dies immediately after competing. An autopsy reveals extreme dehydration and death due to cardiovascular failure. He was 33 years old. He had used a combination of diuretics for “cutting.”
1994 – professional bodybuilder Paul Dillett experiences muscle cramps while posing on stage at the Arnold Classic. He is taken off stage. The cause is the same – severe dehydration and electrolyte imbalance caused by the use of the diuretic Lasix (furosemide). Fortunately, he survived.
1996 – Andreas Munzer dies due to liver and kidney failure. The autopsy reveals a complete disruption of electrolyte balance.
These are just the most well-known facts about the serious side effects of diuretics in professional bodybuilders. A huge number of similar facts do not receive any media coverage.
Diuretics: Contraindications for Use
The following medical conditions can significantly increase the risk of side effects from taking diuretics:
- diabetes
- pancreatitis
- gout
- lupus
- menstrual cycle disorders
- kidney or liver problems (renal failure)
- frequent dehydration
- heart problems (particularly arrhythmias)
- you are in the third trimester of pregnancy or have experienced high blood pressure during pregnancy
- you are over 65 years old
- you have an allergy to any ingredients in diuretics (both active and inactive)
