Olympic ski jumpers are rumored to have injected hyaluronic acid into their penises. What are the health risks?

Ski jumpers at this year’s Olympics games in Milan were under scrutiny this week following allegations that some of the sport’s male athletes were injecting their penises with hyaluronic acid to give themselves a competitive edge

Now, the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) has dismissed speculation as nothing more than a “wild rumor,” telling PEOPLE.com on Friday that there has “never been” any evidence to the case.

The reaction comes after leaders of the World Anti-Doping Agency said they would examine the claims, which first emerged in the German newspaper Bild – and have since been more widely dubbed “Penisgate.”

The idea is that injecting the penis with hyaluronic acid – which is commonly used in cosmetic skin fillers – would enlarge the organ and ensure that the dimensions of their suit could be larger, allowing the Olympians to jump farther and giving them more lift.

But, experts say the shots could be harmful to the athletes’ health long-term, leaving them in pain or even leading to infection.

“Poorly injected technique or incorrect dose would cause penile pain, poor cosmesis [disfigurement], deformity, infection, inflammation, sensory change and sexual dysfunction,” Dr. Eric Chung, a urological surgeon in Australia, told The Guardian.

“In rare instances, infection can spread to cause gangrene (tissue necrosis) and loss of the penis.”

What the darn heck?

Yeah, these symptoms have been documented following injections.

A 2021 study from researchers in Japan found that a 65-year-old man who had gotten the acid injected into his penis to enlarge its size needed to have parts of it removed.

“On admission, physical examination revealed black necrotic lesions and ulcerations on his glans penis. We performed partial penectomy to remove the necrotic tissues,” the researchers said.

But, they note, the case was “exceedingly rare.”

That same year, Australian researchers said a 31-year-old man who had unprotected sex and had previously received filler injections at a cosmetic clinic for penile enlargement developed septic shock and was admitted to the ICU.

“One month post admission there was significant superficial skin loss to both ventral and lateral aspect of the penis, with healthy granulation tissue at the base,” they wrote.

Chung is likely referring to fournier’s gangrene, which is a rare and life-threatening bacterial infection of the genitals and surrounding area.

Fewer than two out of 100,000 men will be affected by the condition in the U.S. each year, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

Our obsession with hyaluronic acid

Partly it’s that our bodies naturally produce it.

The gooey and slippery substance has multiple crucial functions. It helps our joints work, keeps us hydrated by retaining water and makes skin flexible and reduces wrinkles and lines.

The kind we use in our skin care and medicine and eye drops often comes from fermenting certain kinds of bacteria in a lab.

However, it often used to come from rooster combs, the Clinic notes.

The acid is generally regarded as safe to use in cosmetics, and there are dermal fillers that are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that use the ingredient.

One of the benefits of hyaluronic acid fillers is that they can be dissolved using a special solution if there are adverse effects or a person doesn’t like their appearance, according to Harvard Health.

But these are approved in the face and hands – not anywhere else in the body.

“The FDA hasn’t approved any type of injectable for the purpose of enhancing penis size,” telehealth company Hims writes. “While some dermal fillers are FDA approved for wrinkle filling in the hands or the face, putting them into the penis is an off-label use.”

The Opening Ceremony of the Olympics was being held on Friday and men’s ski jumping is expected to start on Monday.