Being an MMA fighter puts an athlete’s body through a lot. Especially when one has to cut weight and regain it. And Joe Rogan has thoughts about the way the USADA tested athletes going through difficult weight cuts. The infamous organization is now out of the UFC but will their ways remain?
Injecting yourself with an IV can have its own pros. Athletes like Daniel Cormier have previously used the IV to rehydrate themselves after a massive weight cut. However, using the method was banned by the USADA. Can it be brought back? Here are Rogan’s thoughts.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
Joe Rogan on reintroduction of the IV
Rogan is a big advocate of fighters’ health in the UFC. So naturally, he had to oppose the USADA’s decision to take the IV method away from the fighters. According to Daniel Cormier who was Rogan’s most recent guest on The Joe Rogan Podcast, IV can help reintroduce fluid to the body.
And that’s a way that’s much more efficient than actually drinking water or eating right after the weight cut. However, IVs can also be used to “mask” Performance Enhancing Drugs. According to Rogan, there are better ways of navigating this situation.
“Maybe there’s a way to do a test before you do an IV,” said Rogan. “Seems stupid to cut off the IV. What if they had like a thing where you had to say, hey, I’m planning on taking an IV. Will you guys come and test me before I take the IV? That should be easy.”
Perhaps the new dope testing organization, Drug Free Sport International, could make changes such as this one. The organization is now attached with the UFC and will be taking over USADA’s place from January 2024. Perhaps Daniel Cormier would be happy with the changes if they are made. Here’s how he made a case for the IV being used.
‘DC’ on using the IV
The biggest issue with the banning of the IV was perhaps rehydrating. Daniel Cormier has cut weight before and he knows the physical difficulties that follow. Here’s how he detailed the issues that were eased by the IV. Now, the same can not be said.
“The problem with rehydrating is, it would mess with your stomach,” said Daniel Cormier. “Everything you drink would make your stomach hurt. Everything you ate would make your stomach hurt. So even if you made weight at 4:00, you’re not really eating a good meal till 6:00 because you gotta get through like the cramps. . . So the IV was the best because while you’re doing the IV, it’s going directly into the blood. All that fluid, it’s going right.”
Clearly, the method was a huge help to ‘DC’. Do you think it should be brought back?
Watch This Story: UFC Legend Throws Up After Intense Training With Former Navy SEAL
Written by
Edited by
Joyita Das