Body builders warned
Aug 27, 2003
Body builders who use insulin to bulk their muscles and enhance their performance could suffer from brain damage or die, British doctors said recently.
Body builders who use insulin to bulk their muscles and enhance their performance could suffer from brain damage or die, British doctors said recently.
Although the use of insulin is banned by the International Olympic Committee, doctors believe it is becoming more popular among body builders because it is difficult to detect with standard drug tests.
“It is likely that insulin is being abused for enhancing performance and endurance in sporting events,†said Dr Richard Lynch of Pontefract General Hospital in England,
A US study indicated that one in four athletes using anabolic steroids also abused insulin, a hormone secreted by cells within the pancreas.
Lynch treated a man who was admitted to hospital after being found unconscious in his home. He was treated for low blood sugar and was thought to be a diabetic. But when he woke up he admitted he was a body builder who had been taking insulin regularly and using steroids. The two compounds can have an effect in increasing the muscle bulk, according to Lynch.
Although the use of insulin is banned by the International Olympic Committee, doctors believe it is becoming more popular among body builders because it is difficult to detect with standard drug tests.
“It is likely that insulin is being abused for enhancing performance and endurance in sporting events,†said Dr Richard Lynch of Pontefract General Hospital in England,
A US study indicated that one in four athletes using anabolic steroids also abused insulin, a hormone secreted by cells within the pancreas.
Lynch treated a man who was admitted to hospital after being found unconscious in his home. He was treated for low blood sugar and was thought to be a diabetic. But when he woke up he admitted he was a body builder who had been taking insulin regularly and using steroids. The two compounds can have an effect in increasing the muscle bulk, according to Lynch.