Fabricio Andrey recently emphasized that, even though he’s never used banned substances himself, he acknowledges the reality many athletes face in high-level competition.
Here is what he had to say about the anti-doping protocols he’s experienced both in IBJJF competitions and while competing for ONE, for example:
I spent two or three hours drinking water to be able to urinate.
This part sucks, but you have to have control.
Though committed to staying clean, Andrey didn’t demonize athletes who seek performance optimization.
In fact, he argued that access to recovery tools — even controversial ones — can sometimes be necessary at the elite level…
As being “at the top” when it comes to performance is not exactly healthy:
I think it’s necessary. High-performance athlete has to have (access to resources) to hurt himself less, have more longevity, recover more…
(Because) high performance is not health.
Andrey challenged the black-and-white narrative often associated with doping in sports.
As, for him, almost everything in high-level training carries a physical cost:
Heel hooks are bad, armlocks are bad… Training six hours a day is bad.
So, almost everything in high-performance sport has a cost to the body.
Watch the video below (in Portuguese) to hear more of Fabricio Andrey’s thoughts on the topic:
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