Sports Medicine Master System-Chapter 120 - 87: Banned Drug
In the lounge, Chen Yu received a call from Guardiola shortly after finishing surgery.
"You’re certainly well-informed," Chen Yu said with a laugh.
’Besides, it must be the middle of the night in Spain right now.’
’Could Guardiola have stayed up waiting for the results of the surgery?’
Guardiola explained, "I have some friends who are reporters over there. I asked them to call me the moment the surgery ended. Chen, how’s Ronnie?"
Chen Yu glanced through the report on the table, his brow slowly knitting together. "He’s fine," he said casually. "The surgery was a success." 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚
"That’s wonderful."
Guardiola exclaimed excitedly over the phone before offering his thanks.
"Don’t mention it. More importantly, how’s your own recovery coming along?" Chen Yu asked in return.
’He should be back with the team by now.’
Sure enough, Guardiola had already rejoined his team and started rehabilitation training.
They chatted for a few more moments, and the conversation drifted to Guardiola’s thoughts about leaving Barça.
Over the phone, Guardiola only said he was still thinking about it, but Chen Yu could tell from his tone. ’When you’re hesitating about something, it means you’ve already made up your mind to leave. You’re just looking for reasons to justify it.’
"Um..."
Speaking of leaving a team, Guardiola was reminded of Baggio.
Just this month, the Italian National Team’s head coach, Trapattoni, had been asked in an interview about his vision for the team. He replied that he needed a team that was healthy, young, and aggressive.
There was nothing wrong with the answer itself, but the media interpreted it to mean that older, less-than-fit players like Baggio had already been excluded from Trapattoni’s National Team plans.
When Guardiola heard this news, the idea of asking Chen Yu to re-diagnose and treat Baggio surfaced once again.
But as the words reached his lips, he swallowed them back down.
’This is all just wishful thinking on my part. I’m not even that close with Baggio. What right do I have to make a decision like that for him?’
"Oh, right."
Chen Yu suddenly spoke, interrupting Guardiola’s thoughts. "Josep, let me ask you, have you been taking a drug called Zinc and Magnesium Power?"
On the other end of the line, Guardiola froze. His tone shifted as he asked tentatively, "Why do you ask?"
"Here’s the thing," Chen Yu explained. "Since Ronnie was admitted, I’ve been asking him about his medical and medication history. I found out he’s taken a few things, like Filo Tablets—that’s a creatine supplement, I believe."
"On top of that, he’s also taking something called Zinc and Magnesium Power. I’ve noticed his testosterone levels are consistently above the normal range. After ruling out all other possibilities, I suspect this Zinc and Magnesium Power is the culprit."
The label for Zinc and Magnesium Power states its main ingredients are zinc, magnesium, and vitamin B6.
But Chen Yu sensed something was wrong, so he had it tested at Saint Luke Hospital. He had just received the analysis report.
Sure enough, in addition to the three listed ingredients, the analysis found an unknown compound in the drug.
Chen Yu had questioned Milanee carefully, and she told him that Ronaldo took this drug often. It was supposed to help him recover muscle strength quickly after intense workouts.
Apparently, many of Ronaldo’s friends in Serie A were also using it.
The lab at Saint Luke wasn’t specialized enough to determine the compound’s chemical structure.
But based on the drug’s effects, its purpose could be inferred.
’Boosting testosterone, restoring muscle strength... this is clearly a steroid!’
And all steroids are banned substances.
Since he knew Guardiola and Ronaldo were acquainted, Chen Yu had just asked on a whim.
"And then there’s creatine."
Chen Yu grimaced.
Steroids were unequivocally banned substances, but creatine, being a supplement, wasn’t on the prohibited list.
This was because it’s also found in high concentrations in red meat.
However, too much of anything can be harmful. For example, it increases the metabolic load on the kidneys and liver, and long-term, high-dose consumption is bound to cause problems.
Guardiola’s voice faltered. "So... what’s the problem with it?"
’The moment he asked that, I knew,’ Chen Yu thought. ’This guy is definitely using it, too.’
Chen Yu was, of course, against athletes using drugs.
But often, it was a case of peer pressure—other people were using it, they influenced each other, and before you knew it, you were using it too.
Besides, new drugs were constantly being developed. Often, a coach or an agent might tell you there was something that would be good for you, and you’d just take it.
It was a shady business, operating in a legal gray area. All Chen Yu could do was fulfill his duty to give a warning.
"The problem is very serious. I’ve already told Ronnie to stop taking it. If I were you, I’d resolve to never touch the stuff again."
Guardiola was a smart man; he would understand.
After a pause, Chen Yu added, "Honestly, if you want to build muscle, it’s best to do it through natural training. Taking drugs can produce powerful short-term effects, but in the long run, they can have many unpredictable consequences for your body. An athlete’s career only lasts for a few years, but they have the rest of their lives to live after retirement. They shouldn’t be left with a body ravaged by injuries."
’Then again,’ he thought, ’some people are willing to do anything for those few years of their professional career. They’ll use drugs to get results and earn enough money to last a lifetime.’
’They talk about side effects, but doesn’t high-intensity training have its own long-term consequences?’
’It was a complicated issue with no easy answers.’
’Regardless, now that I’ve seen it, I have to try and stop it.’
Fortunately, in team sports like football and basketball, drug use wasn’t as rampant. That’s because sometimes, if a player is just plain bad, no amount of drugs is going to make them better.
