Effect of sacubutril/valsartan and dapagliflozin on athletic performance; Can the popular cardiac medications of recent years be used as doping agents?

Studies conducted in recent years have demonstrated the positive effects of sacubitril/valsartan and dapagliflozin on cardiac prognosis and performance. These drugs can potentially be abused as doping agents by professional athletes. In our study, we evaluated the effects of sacubitril/valsartan and dapagliflozin on athletic performance. In the study, the swimming performances of three groups of rats were evaluated by dividing them into control, sacubitril/valsartan and dapagliflozin groups. Additionally, echocardiography, weight and rotarod data were evaluated during follow-up. In the comparison of sacubitril/valsartan and control groups, a statistical difference was seen in the 13th, 19th and 20th swimming sessions, and when the total and average swimming times were compared, the p values were 0.115 and 0.015. In the comparison of dapagliflozin and control groups, a statistical difference was observed starting from the 10th swimming session, and when the total and average swimming times were compared, the p values were <0.001 and <0.001. In triple analysis, a statistical difference was seen from the 9th swimming session until the end of the experiment. Furthermore, a statistical difference was observed in rotarod results for sacubitril/valsartan and dapagliflozin compared to baseline. (p value <0.001 and 0.011 respectively) Our study showed a limited positive effect of sacubitril/valsartan on athletic performance. The impact of dapagliflozin on athletic performance was shown to be particularly significant.