“Not Going to Die for This Sport”: Bodybuilding Legend Ronnie Coleman Almost Ditched His Mr. Olympia Competition to Save His Life Back in 2001

Bodybuilding is a sport where the use of performance-enhancing drugs is aplenty. They use it to gain enormous muscle mass, and it can lead to detrimental effects. The recent deaths of various bodybuilders have caught the attention of eight-time Mr. Olympia Ronnie Coleman, who explained the problems. Recently, Shawn Rhoden, George Peterson, and Cedric McMillan all passed away, shocking the bodybuilding fraternity. 

Using various substances can lead to a harmful life for athletes. Thus, Coleman explained how the testing of diuretics saw him being safe. But, there is no testing for that now, and it is shocking to see the outcomes. Coleman explained his first-hand experience with the situation. In fact, Coleman wants to live a happy life and couldn’t care less about this.

Ronnie Coleman feared death in 2001!

The realization came to Coleman during the 2001 Mr. Olympia contest. The use of diuretics can cause the kidneys to get rid of more urine and lower the amount of water in the body and, in turn, lower the blood pressure. Coleman wanted his health to be the number one priority and revealed the details during his 2001 Mr. Olympia event.

Bodybuilders take the stage by dehydrating themselves as it improves the visibility of their muscles and vascularity. However, Coleman did not want to feel this way again. 

“I remember back in 2001, I’ll never forget it like it was yesterday. I woke up the morning of the Olympia and I felt awful,” said Coleman about how he felt. He continued, “I was totally dehydrated, you know.” Although he won his fourth consecutive Mr. Olympia title, Coleman never wanted to feel this way and thought he would die.

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“But this morning, I felt awful. I felt really bad. I was to the point where I felt like I was kind of dying. It scared the living hell out of me. I called my nutritionist and said, hey, Dude, I feel awful. Forget this show, I’m going to the hospital. I’m not going to die for this sport. I’m going to the hospital,” said Coleman. 

Keeping one’s health in check

Significantly, these days bodybuilders check their health and monitor their progress. Using performance-enhancement methods can cause problems for competitors, and Coleman understood the issue. Earlier, a Brazilian bodybuilder named Valdir Segato lost his life after injecting Synthol into his muscles. He used it to bulk up muscles, and suffered a heart attack. 

Everyone has different ways to approach their goals and targets. But, using diuretics and other enhancers can probably cost one’s life. Whereas, a safe approach can prolong sporting careers. Life is too sweet to end short. Hopefully, everyone can rally down to this conclusion. 

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