use of diuretics in bodybuilding

BACKGROUND: this observational and cross-sectional study aimed to describe training, pharmacological ergogenic aids, dehydration, and nutrition strategies during a peak week in competitive bodybuilders and monitor changes that occurred across this period. METHODS: Ten amateur bodybuilders were followed during a peak week phase and one day post-contest. Training, diet, dehydration protocol, anabolic steroid use, and nonsteroidal agents were recorded, prescribed, and supervised by the same coach in charge...

Bodybuilders routinely engage in many dietary and other practices purported to be harmful to kidney health. The development of acute kidney injury, focal segmental glomerular sclerosis (FSGS) and nephrocalcinosis may be particular risks. There is little evidence that high-protein diets and moderate creatine supplementation pose risks to individuals with normal kidney function though long-term high protein intake in those with underlying impairment of kidney function is inadvisable. The links between anabolic androgenic steroid use and FSGS are stronger, and there are undoubted dangers of nephrocalcinosis in those taking high doses of vitamins A, D and E...

SUMMARY: A 32-year-old Caucasian male presented to the emergency department with a one-day history of acute severe bilateral lower limb weakness, three days after competing in a bodybuilding competition. He consumed large quantities of carbohydrate-rich foods following the competition. His past medical history was significant for anxiety, and family history was non-contributory. Examination was normal except for reduced power and hyporeflexia in both legs, despite his muscular physique...

Anabolic steroids (AS) are synthetic testosterone-derivatives developed by the pharmaceutical industry to mimic testosterone biological effects. So far, AS have been implicated in the treatment of pathological conditions, such as hypogonadism, anemia, and cachexia. Since their discovery, though, AS have been illicitly used by elite and recreational athletes, bodybuilders and weightlifters in order to enhance athletic and aesthetic performance. This practice is characterized by cycles of administration and withdrawal, the combination of different AS compounds, and administration of doses 50 - 1000 times higher than those recommended for therapeutic purposes...

Awareness of the prevalence of the use of appearance- and performance-enhancing drugs (APEDs) is increasing. Users range from professional athletes and bodybuilders to amateurs and adolescents. Anabolic androgenic steroids (AASs) are the most widely used APEDs, typically for purposes of building muscle mass, in forms that include pills, injections, topical preparations, and transdermal systems. AASs are often used in combination with augmenting drugs taken to enhance androgen production and, for men, to decrease estrogen production...

Bodybuilding competitions are becoming increasingly popular. Competitors are judged on their aesthetic appearance and usually exhibit a high level of muscularity and symmetry and low levels of body fat. Commonly used techniques to improve physique during the preparation phase before competitions include dehydration, periods of prolonged fasting, severe caloric restriction, excessive cardiovascular exercise and inappropriate use of diuretics and anabolic steroids. In contrast, this case study documents a structured nutrition and conditioning intervention followed by a 21 year-old amateur bodybuilding competitor to improve body composition, resting and exercise fat oxidation, and muscular strength that does not involve use of any of the above mentioned methods...

Doping -the abuse of anabolic-androgenic steroids in particular- is widespread in amateur and recreational sports and does not solely represent a problem of professional sports. Excessive overdose of anabolic steroids is well documented in bodybuilding or powerlifting leading to significant side effects. Cardiovascular damages are most relevant next to adverse endocrine effects.Clinical cases as well as forensic investigations of fatalities or steroid consumption in connection with trafficking of doping agents provide only anecdotal evidence of correlations between side effects and substance abuse...

Tribulus terrestris (TT) is a dicotyledonous herbal plant of the Zygophyllaceae family. In ancient medicine, extracts of the aerial parts and fruits have been used for its diuretic, tonic, and aphrodisiac properties. Today, TT is widely used by athletes and bodybuilders based on the belief, fueled by claims in marketing information, that it can enhance testosterone concentrations. To assess TT's effect on testosterone levels in human and animals, an electronic literature search out using seven databases and the patent database up to August 2013 was carried out...

In 1986, the Medical Commission of the IOC defined doping as the use of pharmacological substances belonging to disallowed groups of active substances (stimulants, narcotics, anabolic steroids, beta-blockers, diuretics). With certain restrictions, this applies also to alcohol, local anesthetics and corticosteroids. The use of disallowed methods (blood doping, manipulation of a urine sample) is also forbidden. These days the greatest importance is attached to anabolic steroids (including testosterone), since these substances--discontinued in good time--cannot be detected on the day of competition but still have a promoting effect on performance...

To obtain a more complete view of their general health and health care habits, 27 bodybuilders (19 men and 8 women) competing at the 1988 National Physique Committee's Junior USA Bodybuilding Championships participated in this study. Data pertaining to demographics and pre-competition nutrition, training, health, and drug abuse practices were collected by self-administered and interview surveys and records. Anthropometric and blood pressure measurements and casual blood samples were collected on -site at the competition registration...

A 27-year-old male bodybuilder was studied during a 30-day precontest period when his goal was to lose fat and retain muscle mass. Weighted dietary intakes were obtained for each day of the study. The subject trained 6 days per week with weights and included an aerobic component on most days. Ergogenic drugs and a diuretic were self-administered. At the contest, the subject placed in the top three for his weight division. The strict diet enabled the subject to lose fat weight predictably in preparation for the contest...

The only drugs which commonly cause diabetes during therapeutic use are the anti-hypertensive vasodilator diazoxide, and corticosteroids in high doses such as those used to palliate intracranial tumours. Thiazide diuretics have in the past been used in higher doses than necessary to treat hypertension, and the lower doses now used probably carry only a slight risk of inducing diabetes. The risk from beta-blockers is also quite small, but there is some evidence that thiazides combined with beta-blockers may be more likely to cause diabetes than either drug alone...