Is It True That Drinking Lots of Mineral Water Will Make It Easier for Any Athlete to Carry Out the Doping Control Process?

Kendari, 24 October 2024

After the XXI 2024 PON (National Sports Games) in Aceh – Northern Sumatra ended, IADO continued to carry out anti-doping educations in certain provinces. After being conducted in Central Kalimantan, Southeast Sulawesi was the next host on October 24th, 2024 for the implementation of anti-doping education. During the implementation of this education, IADO represented by the Head of the IADO Planning Bureau Mr. Panji said that post-PON implementation anti-doping education would continue to be carried out to increase awareness of the knowledge on anti-doping rule violations (ADRV). That activity was attended by representatives of the Central KONI (National Sports Committee of Indonesia) presenting a material on Development of Sports Achievement Without Doping, delivered by Mr. Irfan Bachtiar. It was then continued with the delivery of Anti-Doping Overview presented by Mr. Panji and finally the Anti-Doping Education Material delivered by Miss. Dewi Putri Susanti in cooperation with one of the educational presenters (PRESI), namely Dr. Steivie Albert Jefta Telew coming from Manado, Northern Sulawesi.

PRESI has started carrying out its duties to provide education for athletes and Athlete Support Personnel (ASP) in Indonesia, in which one of their duties was conducted in Southeast Sulawesi. The PRESI personnel delivered several materials related to the list of prohibited substances and also the Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE). After obtaining the material, the participants were enthusiastic, encouraging them to arise questions. One of the questions asked was “what happen if any athlete has difficulty to urinate? Are there any suggestions during the sample collection making it easier for any athlete to urinate? Is it necessary to drink as much mineral water as possible?” Mr. Panji answered that question by saying that the process of urinating is different from one athlete to others. In fact, drinking too much mineral water is not allowed because it will affect the specific gravity of urine, which will cause any athlete to have to provide urine according to the required urine specific gravity standards. Then, to make it easier for athletes to urinate, athletes must be calm and not panic, so that it will be easier for any athlete to urinate during the sample collection process.