The opponents of Lasix have contended that the presence of other drugs can be well hidden with the use of diuretic in the urine sample of a horse, a point that has received a lot of confidence when Robinson Cano, the star of Seattle Mariners on Tuesday got banned for 80 consecutive games as a result of his positivity test for Lasix. Lasix has been prohibited by the Major League Baseball not only because the performance of a player can be enhanced, but it is also known to hide the other drugs.
However, two horse racing professionals in Lasix, drug testing and drug administration that was reached out to by TDN stated that reliable safety measures have been implemented in racing to guarantee that performance-improving drugs cannot be hidden by Lasix in the system of a horse.
The equine medical director of the California Horse Racing Board, Rick Arthur indicated that he was sure about their regulations which Lasix will have no impact on their drug testing abilities. He continued that he won’t state that there is no effect but the effect won’t be significant. With the rules that have been established, he is confident that Lasix will not be able to exploit the drug testing procedures.
Arthur elaborated that other drugs are not really hidden by Lasix, but as a result of its diuretic, it results in urine dilution that causes the discovery of other drugs a bit difficult.
He stated that it is a diluting agent which implies that Lasix can increase the dilution of urine where your urine typically consists of 10 nanograms, it will reduce to five nanograms after the consumption of Lasix. This can affect the drug detection level which will make detecting a drug difficult. Urine dilution makes testing for other drugs very difficult. That is just the idea.
Immediately Lasix began to become a generally utilized drug for racing, racing commissions and chemists understood that measures must be put in place to prevent individuals who might consume it for hiding other illegal drugs. A professor with the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences in Ohio, Dr. Rick Sams and a long-time leader of the drug testing program for the Gaming Commission in New York, Dr. George Maylin were both responsible for discovering a solution for what could have resulted in a severe issue. The duo came to the conclusion that Lasix should not be administered to a horse in less than four hours from its racing as any administration in a shorter period could result in the problematic dilution effect. This four-hour policy is now employed all over the US.
Sams stated that what he did with George Maylin back in the eighties was the direct outcome of the policies that are currently being implemented. Horses were administered performance-improving as well as therapeutic drugs, Lasix was administered, urine samples were collected multiple times and they cane to a conclusion that Lasix must only be administered four hours into the race with not more than 25-milligram dosage which will result in no major effect in urine sample concentration. This issue was very common during the mid-eighties when Lasix was prohibited by the predecessors to ARCI. A ban on furosemide throughout the nation was also suggested as it has the possibility of concealing other drugs just like it was experienced in the drug scene.
Cano confirmed to consuming Lasix and agreed to his suspension that will incur a cost of about $11.85 million in his salary. He stated that a doctor offered him a prescription in the Dominican Republic which he was using for the treatment of a medical condition. He objected to the use of performance-improving drugs
Sams stated that the use of furosemide in humans is more or less limited to cardiovascular ailment or high blood pressure. And he would not expect an adult at his age (35) to be consuming the drug.
The World Anti-Doping Agency has prohibited the use of Lasix and all others due to its potential for modifying the drug test results.
In a situation where Cano was consuming Lasix in order to overcome the drug testing procedures for steroids and other PEDs, this situation generates additional questions that are difficult to answer. Racehorses usually undergo a test at the completion of a race. Baseball players undergo testing procedures on an irregular basis. Did he consume Lasix regularly in consideration of an upcoming test or was he aware of his testing period beforehand? In any case, nothing was available to prevent him from consuming Lasix within a period that his urine would have been diluted.
Arthur stated that he was not baffled that a human athlete received a suspension for Lasix but it was only difficult for him to comprehend the purpose for him to consume Lasix as doing so is quite unintelligent as testing for it is very easy. It is impossible to consume Lasix for urine dilution without anyone finding out that Lasix has been consumed. He still can’t understand the reason a baseball player will consume Lasix as anyone who advised on such is not very intelligent.
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