Insulin cheats risking death for sports glory

LONDON - Bodybuilders who use insulin to bulk their muscles could suffer from brain damage or die, say British doctors.

Although the International Olympic Committee bans the use of insulin, doctors believe it is becoming more popular among body builders because it is difficult to detect with standard drug tests.

Dr Richard Lynch of Pontefract General Hospital in Yorkshire said it was likely that many people were using insulin to enhance sporting performance and endurance.

A US study indicated that as many as one in four athletes using anabolic steroids also abused insulin, a hormone that is secreted by cells within the pancreas.

Dr Lynch treated a 31-year old 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 that he was a body builder who had been taking insulin regularly and using steroids.

The two compounds can have a combined effect in increasing the muscle bulk, says Dr Lynch. Insulin boosts glycogen which fuels muscles during exercise. More glycogen equates to greater stamina and steroids increase muscle.

Drug testing picks up many other banned substances, but because insulin vanishes from the blood stream quickly it is difficult to trace.

Dr Lynch, who reported his findings in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, said body builders get insulin from diabetics. He also believes there is a black market for the hormone.

It is usually taken in secret which compounds the problem.

"This puts the user at risk of developing hypoglycaemia for prolonged periods away from possible medical assistance, potentially resulting in coma or death."

- REUTERS