Quote:
|
Originally Posted by raybo
Some trainers, those who don't like to, or can't, use Lasix on race day, will "draw" or withhold water in the morning. But really, how much of an advantage is the reduction of 10 -20 pounds of water weight in a 1000 pound animal, either way? The real advantage of Lasix, IMO, is the reduction of blood in the respiratory system. if the horse has blood in its airways there can be negative health issues, and their performance can suffer. I'm not crazy about using a diuretic, but if it is effective in reducing or preventing bleeding, and nothing else works, then I'm all for it, if the horse is otherwise race sound.
|
The theory that Lasix prevents bleeding has never been proven in any study. In fact the only study done has shown it does not. To allow the use of any drug without proper testing is obscene. Would you take any drug that has not undergone proper testing? Do horses not deserve similar protection?
It causes calcium and magnesium to be leeched from the bones and supplemental calcium feeding is not enough to replace these essential minerals since the body cannot absorb enough calcium to replace that sweated and urinated out.
Yes, it is probably performance enhancing but this flies in the face of equine physiology except for the fact that it masks the presence of other illegal drugs by diluting the urine.
Lasix was first introduced by racing commissions, based on mere untested speculation, and thinking that it would stop declining field sizes. In fact it has had the opposite effect with average field sizes decreasing since it's legalization.
Europe, and the rest of the world, where Lasix is banned do not have any more of a bleeding problem than the U.S where it is used universally.
