UFC, Dehydration and Yellow Eyes!

In the past few weeks I have learned one amazing thing: podcasts are incredible! I don't know what took me so long to realize this but I have been listening to some great interviews lately. The most recent one involved Joe Rogan and Jeff Novitzky. Rogan is the outspoken stand-up comic/UFC commentator and Novitzky was just recently hired by the UFC to help clean up the sport. Novitzky has made a career of this and his most notable work includes the BALCO scandal (Barry Bonds and others) and the 2010 investigation of Lance Armstrong. Ridding the UFC of performance enhancers is a daunting task but they hired the right man to do the job!

Notes from the interview:

1. The first order of business was eliminating the use of IV Bags post weigh-in. These dudes suck so much weight and dehydrate themselves to levels almost unimaginable. To think that there has not been a death resulting from dehydration in this sport is amazing. Rogan went on to tell the story of Travis Lutter, a fighter who in 2007 failed to make weight for a title fight. Lutter looked like death for that weigh-in. Face was completely sucked out, lips were cracked, and he couldn't walk to the scale. He shuffled his feet over, missed the weight, worked out for two more hours, missed the weight again, and lost his opportunity to fight for the title. He still fought the champ then less than 24 hours later, but the title was not on the line. I am assuming he used an IV bag to re-hydrate himself for the fight. Eliminating the IV option could potentially make fighters think twice about making a significant weight cut. Keep in mind, when your body gets to 10% dehydrated, you are at risk for organ failure. When you reach 15%, "imminent death" is the result. Crazy when you hear about athletes cutting 20+ pounds in a 24-48 window prior to the weigh-in. 
2. The IV Bag is the quickest way to rehydrate but it does not work as well as hydrating orally, this according to Novitzky. The body needs more than the 24 hours it gets between weigh-in and fight to fully hydrate. The issue is that the the integrity of the blood brain barrier may be compromised by dehydration. In a sport where you get punched in the head, having that barrier compromised puts you at greater risk for head injuries. There is some research out there that references a majority of deaths in boxing happen at the lower weight classes. How could this be when the heavyweights hit the hardest? Those lighter weights cut a significant amount of weight to compete. They could potentially be entering the ring in a dehydrated state where the blood brain barrier is compromised, which is less protection for the brain.
3. The Supplement industry. The UFC has adopted the testing program done by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA). There is no running or hiding from these agents. One notable story comes from the legend Wanderlei Silva. Agents showed up at his training camp to test him. Instead of submitting a sample, he bolted and took off running out of the back door. He was banned for life! 
4. More on Supplements... This industry is packed with banned substances. These athletes can purchase a product over the counter and still get popped for a banned substance without even knowing it! I always thought it was B.S. when an athlete claimed they did not know the performance enhancer they took had a banned substance in it. But after viewing the High Risk List on the USADA website, I am beginning to change my opinion on the matter. Novitzky told a story of a Long Island company who produces a B-12 vitamin supplement. This company sent their product to a manufacturing company in another state. This manufacturing company also produces an anabolic steroid. Either the machinery was not cleaned properly...or not cleaned at all, but the B-12 supplements contained traces of anabolic steroids. Nobody would have known about this if it was not for the elderly people who went to their doctor with yellow eyes, yellow cheeks, and yellow hands. Their livers were not functioning properly because of the "B-12" supplement they were using. Be careful what you buy.
5. Testing procedures are continually being improved and developed. It is believed that the dopers are a year or two ahead of the testers. The testers now have a solution to that problem. They are going to store the blood and urine samples for a period of time. If a new test is developed, they can grab a sample of someones blood or urine from two years prior, test it, and see if anything comes up. If the athlete is no longer in the sport, his legacy and reputation could be tarnished. If the athlete is still competing, he will be suspended. They currently do this in the world of cycling. 
6. Mixed Martial Arts is exactly what the name says it is. These fighters have to learn just about every discipline imaginable. The training camps are tough. There is stand-up practice, wrestling practice, strength, conditioning...and the list goes on. Because of this, a high percentage of fights do not make it to fight night. Fighters are dropping out of fights due to injuries sustained during camp. This is where the performance enhancers come in to play. They help and enable recovery. With these substances being eliminated, camps need to get more educated about taking care of their athletes. Intense sessions day after day will break any fighter down. Strength & Conditioning coaches should continue to expand their role in the sport. These guys need to be in top physical condition for their sport. If not, they are at risk for some serious bodily harm.

I do not envy Mr. Novitzky's job with the UFC. He will rid the sport of the most prevalent users and substances. This will help with improving the health of their fighters. It will also show the gaming commissions that the UFC is taking the necessary steps to clean up their sport. On the flip side, they could potentially lose big name fighters to this new legislation. These guys may go on to other promotions or other countries to fight with less stringent testing procedures. I am curious to see how this thing plays out. Kudos to the UFC for taking the unprecedented and being proactive of ridding their sport of all this crap!

Chris Fluck