The Partnership for Clean Competition (PCC) is an exciting non-profit collective of anti-doping minds and researchers celebrating its’ 15th anniversary at the 6th conference currently ongoing at MLB offices in New York. The group was created by the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee, the National Football League, Major League Baseball and the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), with support from the PGA Tour. Behind the scenes at PCC is where a lot of discussion takes place that can shape the

Look for Third Party Certification for Banned Substances   As we watch the excitement of the Masters unfold avid golf fans might be curious about the dietary supplements golf professionals use for fuel as they duel for the green jacket. Dietary supplements don’t come without risks and there have been many examples of athletes who have inadvertently tested positive for banned substances from contaminated supplements. A 2022 study found that, “almost 28% of the studied dietary supplem

CELSIUS drinks are not banned by the NCAA as has been mistakenly reported in several articles and in social media. Unfortunately, a lot of misinformation has been shared suggesting that CELSIUS and guarana are subject to a “total ban” under NCAA regulations or that ingredients like ginseng, guarana, L-carnitine and taurine are “illegal banned stimulants” according to the NCAA and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). They are not. The information provided here aims to provide accurate inf

CELSIUS drinks are not banned by the NCAA as has been mistakenly reported in several articles and in social media. Unfortunately, a lot of misinformation has been shared suggesting that CELSIUS and guarana are subject to a “total ban” under NCAA regulations or that ingredients like ginseng, guarana, L-carnitine and taurine are “illegal banned stimulants” according to the NCAA and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). They are not. The information provided here aims to provide accurate inf

Celsius and Other Energy Drinks Not Banned by the NCAA   CELSIUS drinks are not banned by the NCAA as has been mistakenly reported in several articles and in social media. Unfortunately, a lot of misinformation has been shared suggesting that CELSIUS and guarana are subject to a “total ban” under NCAA regulations or that ingredients like ginseng, guarana, L-carnitine and taurine are “illegal banned stimulants” according to the NCAA and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). They a

Yolked Supplement Contains Follistatin, a Myostatin Inhibitor With the onset of 2019, a new WADA Prohibited List has taken effect. The new myostatin inhibitor language is perhaps the most significant change and has great potential impact on the nutrition and sport drug-testing industries, as we discussed in depth in October. Agents that may reduce myostatin expression are now considered banned, including specifically follistatin. Follistatin may be both prohibited and perhaps recommended in the

Follistatin and Epicatechin could be Prohibited in Sport as Myostatin Inhibitors Myostatin inhibitors are of growing importance for anti-doping authorities to consider as this category is expanding and presenting new potential doping agents. Recognizing that reality, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has included in its 2019 WADA Prohibited List adjusted language for the category as summarized in the 2019 Summary of Major Modifications and Explanatory Notes. WADA and other sporting groups may

Industrial hemp-derived oils and other products, commonly referred to as cannabidiol (CBD) products, have grown popular with general consumers and athletes, posing a number of legal, regulatory and consumer questions. Here, we aim to demystify hemp and cannabidiol, or CBD, and evaluate the considerations on whether CBD should be categorized as a drug or a dietary supplement. We invite you to explore the realm of hemp, CBD, Cannabis and Marijuana and considerations on regulations in depth. Disti

BSCG – Committed to transparency in third party certification for banned substances in sport At BSCG, we believe transparency in third party certification for banned substances in sport is crucial. Not only does transparency allow an understanding of the underlying protection offered, it fosters trust in the testing process. To be transparent, a certification provider should clearly describe the fundamental aspects of certification; the drugs included in the testing menu, detection or repo

Noopept could be the next Meldonium Written by Oliver Catlin, BSCG President The question many of us continually ask, “What might be the next clandestine doping agent in sports?” might have a new answer: noopept. Popular in dietary supplements, noopept could be the next big banned substance in sport after meldonium. As we watch the 2016 Rio Olympic Games with the Russian doping scandal looming in the rearview mirror the notion that noopept could be the next big banned substance in sp

N-methyltyramine supplements are prohibited in sport but the same substance is acceptable when naturally present in beer In a recent blog post, we marveled at the seemingly absurd notion that beer might be banned in sport based on interpretation that a prohibited substance, N-methyltyramine (NMT), is present at around three milligrams per pint. After a pint or two, we thought more clarity was necessary for our fellow imbibers. When present naturally in beer NMT would be acceptable, while n-meth

Dietary Supplements and Banned Substances - A Case Study on Higenamine, a Natural Product Banned in Sport Athletes should be allowed to focus completely on the sport at hand but instead they are frequently plagued with concerns over whether a dietary supplement, natural product, functional food, or medication they are taking will cause a positive drug test and derail their athletic career. The exercise of determining whether or not something is banned in sport can be extremely difficult. A perf

N-methyltyramine, prevalent in beer, is interpreted as prohibited in sport based on the World Anti-Doping Agency Prohibited List. We have made a frothy discovery. As it turns out, beer contains a prohibited substance in sport. This was a surprising realization to us as we are sure it is for you, but it appears to be true, at least by interpretation. Seriously? It’s ludicrous to consider that beer contains a prohibited substance in sport. Here are the facts behind this intoxicating notion.

Hidden banned substances in supplements can keep athletes out of the Olympic Games: Jessica Hardy and Pavle Jovanovich cases serve as a warning A number of athletes have tested positive from the hidden presence of banned substances in supplements and have lost the opportunity to compete at the Olympic Games. This summer on the road to Rio, Olympic athletes of every stripe would be wise to recall the case of American swimmer Jessica Hardy and others like American bobsledder Pavle Jovanovich who

Backstory: The Russian Doping Scandal, the Olympics, and the International Olympic Charter Against Doping in Sport Sadly, an ongoing Russian doping scandal has challenged the central tenets of the International Olympic Charter Against Doping in Sport. The debate rages at the highest levels of sport about whether Russian athletes should be allowed to participate in this summer’s Olympic Games in Rio. This follows an investigation overseen by former WADA president Dick Pound last fall findin

Dehydrochlormethyltestosterone MLB Positive Drug Tests Dehydrochlormethyltestosterone MLB positive drug tests have been flying through the news faster than home runs in Denver. The early season so far this year has seen Daniel Stumpf and Chris Colabello test positive for this drug, also called Oral Turinabol (Oral-T), and Wednesday ESPN reporter T.J. Quinn wrote that several more dehydrochlormethyltestosterone MLB positive drug tests will soon be announced. We examine the theories on how so

The Russian Doping Scandal - What Does It Show Us? The recent news about the Russian doping scandal has portrayed a systemic failure and corruption of sport anti-doping efforts. A report published by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) in November 2015 accused Russian athletes of doping and utilizing illegal substances on a systematic, national level in track and field and reproached Russia for a widespread attempted doping cover-up following the investigation. Russian Federation - London 2

What is Methylhexanamine? The world is awash with more and more news about methylhexaneamine (see Comment on Title below for alternative spelling "methylhexanamine") and positive drug tests related to it. We have already written a couple blog posts about the compound. Yesterday we noted an article in The Herald Sun in Australia entitled: Athletes warned of supplement risk: FRESH warnings have been sent to Australia’s elite athletes outlining the risks of taking dietary supplements containin

Deer Antler - The Real Story: Deer antler has a long history of use in Chinese medicine and is used ‘to decrease fatigue and improve sleep and appetite. In animal tests, deer antler has been shown to increase oxygen uptake in the brain, liver and kidneys, and increase red and white blood cell production.’ Traditionally it is available in the form of antler slices, powders, and extracts. In its natural form, it is likely a legal dietary ingredient under the 1994 Dietary Supplement H