Fitness and Drugs
Another doping scandal has caused a surge of interest to the citizens of pharmaceuticals that take athletes. But the realities of big-time sports are far from ordinary life. And that's why they drink drugs healthy people engaged in fitness or other types of physical activity at the amateur level?
Fitness goals
Coming to the gym, people are initially set themselves a specific goal: to improve the power and speed characteristics, the degree of endurance, increase muscle, reduce fat. Some of them are engaged so intense that the body can not withstand loads and begins to "break." Others, for various reasons seek to achieve the goal as soon as possible and are ready for any additional measures. As a result, many are beginning to combine exercise with taking various drugs.
Pharmacology divide all the drugs used in sport, into two main groups:
- Remedies for the recovery of the body after illness or overtraining;
- Preparations, adaptogens that increase efficiency and accelerate the healthy human recovery after conventional training.
Fitness experts do not consider the situation of the treatment of injuries and overtraining, and therefore suggest the following division of the pharmaceuticals used in fitness:
- Anabolic.
- Preparations for the muscles and ligaments.
- Weight loss.
- Recovery.
This classification is also more understandable and ordinary fitness enthusiasts: set a goal - choose the drug. Consider some groups more.
Anabolic
By anabolics are substances that enhance the processes that result in the formation of cells and tissue (anabolism). There are steroidal and non-steroidal anabolic steroids. The first group includes drugs that mimic the action of male sex hormone testosterone from the group. Fans of different types of fitness use them to quickly build muscle, increase strength and endurance performance.
Drugs in this category can be divided into three main groups:
- natural testosterone, or drugs that mimic their action;
- antiestrogens, ie, estrogen blockers, due to which increases the level of testosterone (tamoxifen, clomiphene citrate, Clomid and others.);
- drugs that reduce the level of globulin that binds sex hormones and thereby increase the level of free testosterone in the blood (stanozolol).
These drugs have serious side effects that should be considered when choosing a medication for fitness. Non-steroidal anabolic steroids are much safer and less effective. They also disperse the anabolic processes, but they do it in other ways.
For example, some drugs are increasing the synthesis of proteins required for muscle mass (methyluracil, which interferes with the synthesis of nucleic acids, potassium orotate, which is a precursor of nitrogenous bases of nucleic acids). Other building up energy reserves of cells (Riboxinum, which is a precursor to ATP). There are drugs that enhance performance during hypoxia (actoprotectors), and protecting the body from its development (antihypoxants).
Preparations for the muscles and ligaments
The most important muscle in the body - the heart. In fitness classes at her heavily loaded. If the heart does not cope with their responsibilities, this would lead to a violation of the blood supply to the muscles of the rest of the body. Result - hypoxia of the muscle fibers (lack of oxygen), which leads to fatigue, a drop in the effectiveness of training and an increased risk of injury.
The main elements that affect the work of the heart - of potassium and magnesium ions. Potassium - sodium antagonist. If not enough cardiomyocytes potassium, sodium ions rush into the cell, leading to fluid retention and edema, and consequently, disruption of the heart. Also, potassium participates in the pulses from neurons to muscle cells.
To control the potassium balance is needed magnesium. In addition, the muscle contracts at the expense of panic and depression calcium work and relax thanks to magnesium. If magnesium is not enough, while having developed muscle cramps.
With deficiency of potassium and magnesium ions often encountered physically weakly prepared beginners, fitness professional in preparation for a competition, as well as people actively lose weight. To protect the organism used preparations containing magnesium and potassium salts (Asparkam, B6 Magne et al.).
Hypoxia muscles also often seen in the early stages of the gym, when the muscles are suffering from lack of oxygen due to the untrained vessels or high-intensity training. To expand the blood vessels and improving blood supply to use drugs, vasodilators, meaning "relaxing vessels" and reduce blood viscosity (Pentoxifylline, Agapurin, nitric oxide products (II) and others.).
