Mailing lists in December were buzzing with news of the death of
three wrestlers. Apparently they were exercising in rubber suits
to sweat off enough weight to get themselves into a lighter
weight class. Heat and dehydration were probably the factors
responsible for the deaths. Muscle fibers damaged by heat
release potassium ions into the blood. The kidneys normally help
remove the potassium, but with dehydration, blood stops passing
through the kidneys. So the potassium builds up to such a high
concentration that it stops the heart beating. Three deaths in
quick succession make you wonder if there was a common factor.
The media latched onto the idea that it might be creatine, a
food supplement that increases muscle mass with training. More
muscle mass would mean more body weight for a wrestler to lose.
But it's suspected that only one wrestler was taking creatine.
If drugs were involved, there are several candidates. Diuretics
are used to decrease body weight by increasing urine production,
and in the proces