Urine Therapy
Put your hand up if once in your life you drank raw eggs. Most likely you did so because you were influenced by a Philadelphian pugilist. I admit that I saw Rocky drink raw eggs, so I tried it. It tasted awful, seemed logical. and gave me energy. The first time I ever saw someone drink urine was in a Cheech and Chong film; it definitely did not look appealing. Urophagia ( drinking of urine ) is quickly becoming more and more common place in martial arts. Why do they do it? How much does it really benefit them? Should you be doing it?
What is urine?
Let's examine urine more closely. Kidneys eliminate waste from our blood through urine. Blood, carrying oxygen, waste, and nutrients, enters the kidneys. The blood is filtered and the remains are excreted as urine. Urine contains 95% water and 5% solids. There are an excess of a thousand different mineral salts and compounds estimated to be in urine. Some substances are: vitamins, amino acids, antibodies, enzymes, hormones, antigens, proteins, creatinine, immunoglobulins, H-11 (a growth inhibitory factor in human cancer), and others that most people would not recognize- me included. The specific contents of the 5% worth of solids will vary on what a person has drunk, eaten, and to what they have been exposed. This video explains how your kidneys work. So, who is drinking this?
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Who does this?
Future boxing Hall of Famer, Juan Manual Marquez, has been doing it for his fights over the last few years and swears by it. The 37 year old is still at the top of his game and looked superb recently in retaining his belt against Michael Katsidis. He has stated that it gives him strength and is chock full of essential vitamins. To hear his philosophies behind his special nutritional methods in Spanish, please click on the following link :
http://wn.com/Juan_Manuel_Marquez_drinks_his_own_URINE
Raw eggs were bad enough- but urine? How is the taste? Firstly, it is shockingly warm and then carries a heavy after-taste. It is also bitter and salty. Note to the curious- keep mouthwash close for a much needed post-drink rinse! For the effect on one's breath is most noticeable. There is credence to the expression equating urine with left out, warm beer. Lyoto Machida, the former lightweight champion of the U.F.C. , also subscribes to this eccentric practise. Why? This is Lyoto Machida explaining that he does it for the: higher energy levels, protein, hormones and vitamins:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UYEL729G7s
Counterpoints
Some doctors discredit this practise. They state that the amount of chemicals, with beneficial applications, one is able to consume from the process is in such a small dosage, it is not worth the consumption. They argue that a safer, more efficient, and more logical means would be via diet and supplements. Although it is sterile- bacteria free -urine can be toxic. Detractors of urophagia point out that the body is expelling these chemicals for a reason and that they are not usable by one's body and can sometimes be harmful. To drink urine or not? Question: Is the body expelling the excess waste or is it dispelling valuable nutrients that it was unable to dissolve? This is rhetorical.
While you may not wish to use your urine to augment your health plan, it can be useful to all people. It is an excellent way to measure your level of hydration. A light yellow urine color typically signifies a very healthy urine. The light straw yellow urine will have: a low odour, few bubbles in the urine, little to no foam in urine, and have a clear urine consistency. Experts warn that urine which is too clear may be a case of over-hydration. The darker your urine, the more dehydrated you might be. Symptoms of dehydration are also: headaches, dizziness, nausea, weakness, fatigue, walking funny or unsteady and muscle cramps. Surprisingly, urine has other benefits; scientists recognize that urine is antibacterial, anti-protozoal, anti-fungal, anti-viral, and anti-tuberculostatic (prevents tuberculosis).
Judgement
Is it gross? Is it effective? While people may argue these points, it would be safe to say that this is as natural as a treatment can be. In this era of performance enhancing drugs and athletes looking for loopholes, this might be one advantage people would not protest and felt was earned. Regardless, it makes for a great wager. Bleacher Report's own Robert Gardner recently lost a wager on the Shogun Rua-Lyoto Machida rematch. This was his price.
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