Interested case of heart failure in body builder: Bodybuilding and supplements- the facts

Jan 25, 2020

Interested case of heart failure in body builder: Bodybuilding and supplements- the facts

Case Report – A 35 year old male patient recently admitted in metro hospital with complaint of pain abdomen, vomiting, profuse sweating and lethargy. On arrival in emergency department, He was in shock (non recordable blood pressure) and was drowsy. He was admitted in Medical ICU and was mange with high dose of blood pleasure supporting medications, ventilatory support, IV fluids and other supportive medication. His laboratory evaluation revealed severe acidosis with liver & kidney failure. His cardiac evaluation revealed heart failure with just 20 % functioning. Dialysis was done to support his kidneys. His work up for infections was negative. Slowly he responded to therapy and was removed from ventilator and dialysis after four days. His toxicology profile was negative. When detail history was taken from patients, he informed us about excessive consumption of body building supplements and injectable anabolic steroids.

we could have saved him. We have seen such patients in past also, where patients land up in heart as well as multi-organ failure due to excessive use of protein supplements and anabolic steroids.
Thousands of people especially gym-goers take sports supplements hoping for a range of health benefits, from weight loss to muscle building. But some supplements are being sold illegally and can be very harmful. Such Illegal supplements, including some claiming to be “fat burning” or “slimming”, have been linked to a small number of deaths. Fact is that – Protein is an important part of our diet and key to building and maintaining all types of body tissue, including muscle. It includes amino acids, the building blocks used for muscle growth.. So many protein products are being marketed as helping to promote body’s muscle growth, aid metabolism (helping with weight loss), and help to reach peak physical performance, boost energy and fight the ageing process. Although protein supplements are convenient, not all of them are suitable to be used as a meal replacement, because they don’t have all the vitamins and nutrients that a balanced meal would contain. There’s also evidence that, in the long term, consuming too much protein can lead to an increased risk of osteoporosis and can also worsen existing kidney problems.

Good advice for gym-goers taking protein appendices is to make a simple change in foods (such as Greek yogurt in the morning with muesli and fruit, rather than plain breakfast cereal. Warned people to be wary of buying illegal sports supplements, as they might contain dangerous ingredients that could cause kidney failure, seizures and heart problems. So many illegal products, such as energy and “muscle-gain” products, are being sold containing dangerous ingredients such as steroids, stimulants and hormones. Some steroids are being misused when taken as performance-enhancing drugs. They’re engaging because they’re based on the male hormone testosterone and can therefore improve endurance and performance, and stimulate muscle growth. But they can also enhance aggression. Significant effects of steroid use include an increase in blood pressure, direct kidney and heart damage, liver damage, acne, and sexual promiscuity.

There is a danger that people may wrongly view supplements as a quick fix to achieve their goals. There’s a tendency to think that there’s a magic powder or supplement that will give the physique of dreams, but there’s no substitute for hard work and commitment. Building strength takes years, not weeks or months. It’s an act of discipline and must be earned through commitment to hard training and a good diet.