What benefit would a hit of coke do for a boxer?

[cixthree]

Just wondering cause I've been watching some old fights, and back then there were no tests.
And also cocain was big! So would a snort of coke help or hurt a fighter?

[frosty-g]

not good at all. maybe for a quick turbo boost for a minute but otherwise really not good.

[shadeyfizzle]

Cocaine dramatically increases adrenaline. So the user would get a big boost in strength, higher threshhold for pain, heightened sense of awareness and increase in agression.

On the flipside though the increase in adrenaline also increases heart rate and blood pressrure. For a sport thats already so demanding on the heart and blood flow to begin with...a fighter might just end up with a stroke or heart attack in the middle of a fight.

[shadeyfizzle]

By the way if you're looking for a good example of how coke can both help and hurt a fighter look no further than former world champion rocky lockridge who's now homeless.

[New England]

i've never touched the stuff but i'm guessing that you'd have a lot of guys dying in the ring when they used the drug to maintain consciousness and vigor. like smelling salts, they'd often be used to give a temporary advantage to a no hoper, making him susceptible to excessive damage.

boxing is dangerous enough as it is


you'd see more heart disease among boxers as well
young people who use cocaine regularly and for long enough have hearts like old people.

benefits?

felix potvin used to use cocaine in between periods
he was an NHL goalie. he claimed that the drugs "made the hockey puck look like a basketball"

whether it increased his awareness, or simply slowed the game down and made his reflexes better, you can take away from his statement what you'd like, and draw your own conclusions about how it would help a top flight boxer.


something to think about
diluted "adrenaline" is one of the ingredients in a cutman's toolbox
its adreneline 1 to 1000 i believe (one part active to one thousand parts water // saline)

thats a stimulant
watch tavoris cloud's fight with either glen johnson or yusaf mack (im not sure which simply going off of memory,)
his corner is working on his nose with an adrenaline soaked q tip
and they're telling him to breath in. they insist on it enough that it stuck out in my mind.

when cloud does that he's basically huffing adreneline
and though i've never been in that situation, i've heard from more than one credible source that you'd certainly feel the effects of a stimulant from breathing the adrenaline in that fashion

[New England]

Cocaine dramatically increases adrenaline. So the user would get a big boost in strength, higher threshhold for pain, heightened sense of awareness and increase in agression.

On the flipside though the increase in adrenaline also increases heart rate and blood pressrure. For a sport thats already so demanding on the heart and blood flow to begin with...a fighter might just end up with a stroke or heart attack in the middle of a fight.

i was thinking something along those lines would happen as well.


some athletes do use cocaine
among bodybuilders for instance it's quite common. it helps them keep from eating when they are in cutting stages and drying out, and obviously it helps them shed excess weight because of everything it stimulates.

[Rassclot]

Increased alertness/relentlessness.

Less anxiety and nervousness.


Way more pain threshhold.

[Rassclot]

There's a specific term for "crackhead strength"


Those guys become almost super-human.


I can't access youtube right now but just youtube the crackhead that punched through a fence with his barefist.

I guarantee you he can't do that sober.

[915angel]

ask arron pryor the night of the arguello fight lol,,

[esl_4_u]

There are long term effects, short term, and immediate effects.

The immediate effects are increased heart rate, greater pain threshold, alertness, anxiousness, and paranoia.

The short term (after 15 minutes of extended use) effects are since of invincibility, blood clotting, and an even higher pain threshold. A high dosage of cocaine would cause the fighter's blood clot when cut.

Long term effects are increased risk for heart attack and stroke even 10 years after quitting habitual use and/or abuse of cocaine.

You have to include the placebo aspect from psychological aspect. If the athlete knows that he/she is taking something, then there is a psychological boost even if clinical tests show that there is no real benefit. This goes for all things; steroids, cocaine, and other drugs and/or sport enhancing supplements.