What are the effects of diuretics on performance?

Diuretics affect potassium homeostasis in exercising muscle; intracellular potassium and the resting membrane potential of the cell both decrease. All diuretics except the potassium-sparing agents increase kaliuresis, accelerating the depletion of intracellular potassium.

Why do some athletes use diuretics?

Diuretics. Diuretics work to promote the production of urine. While putting your hand up for a toilet break may not be deemed professional in modern sport, athletes use diuretics to assist with weight-loss (the loss of water through urination leads to an overall loss of body weight).

Why do athletes use hydrochlorothiazide?

Hydrochlorothiazide is a diuretic and masking agent prohibited under Section S5 of the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) Prohibited List. Diuretics are often abused by athletes to excrete water for rapid weight loss and to mask the presence of other banned substances.

What athletes have used diuretics?

The players — Pat Williams and Kevin Williams of the Minnesota Vikings; Charles Grant, Deuce McAllister and Will Smith of the New Orleans Saints; and Bryan Pittman of the Houston Texans — tested positive for diuretics, which can serve as masking agents for steroids.

What are the negative effects of diuretics?

Side effects include increased urination and sodium loss. Diuretics can also affect blood potassium levels….Side effects

• Dizziness.
• Headaches.
• Dehydration.
• Muscle cramps.
• Joint disorders (gout)
• Impotence.

What is diuretic abuse?

They are used to treat people who have medical conditions such as high blood pressure or edema (swelling in certain parts of the body). Diuretic abuse is when you misuse or use these pills improperly, in a way the doctor did not prescribe.

Can I exercise while taking diuretics?

Also used to treat hypertension, hydrochlorothiazide and other diuretics decrease plasma volume by increasing urine output, thus lowering blood pressure. As with those taking ACE inhibitors, patients taking diuretics exhibit lower resting and exercise blood pressures.

Can you get addicted to diuretics?

Idiopathic edema patients abusing diuretics are occasionally becoming dependent to such a degree on increasing doses of diuretics that their withdrawal results in severe cardiorespiratory failure, occasionally even pulmonary edema.

What is the most common adverse reaction of diuretics?

The more common side effects of diuretics include:

• too little potassium in the blood.
• too much potassium in the blood (for potassium-sparing diuretics)
• low sodium levels.
• headache.
• dizziness.
• thirst.
• increased blood sugar.
• muscle cramps.

Can a diuretic make you lose weight?

“Diuretics do not help in weight loss but can temporarily decrease someone’s weight on the scale as they are losing water. As a response to this, the body may try to retain more water, causing swelling and an increase in weight as measured on a scale.