The 21-year-old player and streamer José Neto, better known as Neto Silva, earned more than a million reais playing Free Fire – a task that was not easy and that demanded a lot of his health. The young man adopted seemingly innocuous but risky habits to stay one step ahead. The routine eventually led to early osteoporosis.
“Every day I took 3 liters of soda and 1 liter of coffee, in addition to energy drinks. I even replaced the water with soda. I needed it to stay awake and play for 18 hours to stay in the world top 1 in Free Fire,” he says.
Soon his body began to show signs quite unusual for his age. “I started to feel a lot of pain in my body, I couldn’t find a very good position [confortável] sleep, I felt the bone hurt. One day I decided to go for a run and I started to twist my feet from the first steps. I already had a lot of pain in my ribs before I fell asleep, but I thought it was due to poor posture, after sitting in the chair for many hours. But when it happened, during the race, I went to the hospital the same day,” he says.
At the hospital, the player underwent bone densitometry – a test to assess bone density. It was then that the medical team discovered that the young man suffered from primary type 2 osteoporosis, also called senile osteoporosis, which consists of a calcium deficiency. Neto, however, had no history of the problem in his family.
The condition, however, only becomes common after the so-called “middle age”. According to the Ministry of Health, it is estimated that approximately 50% of women and 20% of men aged 50 or over will suffer an osteoporotic fracture during their lifetime. Therefore, the suspicion is that Neto’s condition has its origin in his eating habits.
Bad habits associated with osteoporosis
According to Dr. Luiz Felipe Carvalho, an orthopedic specialist in the spine and regenerative medicine, the relationship between excessive consumption of soda and osteoporosis is still being studied by scientists, but this does not exclude the impact of the drink on bone health. .
“Because they contain a large amount of phosphoric acid, they cause a decrease in the amount of calcium present in the bones. There is also a study that shows that only one type of soft drink is linked to low bone mineral density, and this study shows the effect in women,” comments the expert.
In addition to soda, the young man also consumed a lot of coffee and energy drinks. Agree with the doctor. Fabiano, coffee, in particular, is another drink that can hinder the absorption of calcium in the body. As a result, it weakens the bones.
Other Ways to Gain Energy
Neto said he drank these drinks to have energy to play for up to 18 hours a day. However, a healthy routine could be even more effective in providing you with the necessary mood. After all, energy is totally linked to the quality of life, emphasizes the orthopedist.
“Quality of life is tied to healthy eating, up-to-date vitamins, exercise, hours of sleep, and mental health. without the basics, no way”, emphasizes the doctor.
Neto says that after the diagnosis he started medication, replacing calcium and vitamin D. He also noticed clinical improvement after starting a routine of physical activities, adopting a healthy diet and improving the quality of sleep. .