After his surprising victory over Devin Haney, it was revealed that Ryan Garcia tested positive for PEDS, both before and after the fight.
Garcia tested positive for the banned performance-enhancing drug Ostarine after undergoing a Voluntary Anti-Doping Association test, boxing journalist Dan Rafael reported. reported Wednesday night.
The boxer reportedly tested positive in two urine tests taken the day before the fight and also after the fight.
Garcia has maintained his innocence, calling the reports “fake news” and calling claims that he cheated before the fight “nonsense.”
So what do we know about Ostarine? Is it possible that García accidentally ingested it?
Ryan Garcia reportedly tested positive for Ostarine, a performance-enhancing drug.
What is Ostarine?
As pointed out by US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), Ostarine is the trade name for a selective androgen receptor modulator (SARM).
This type of medication is not approved for use by the FDA and is said to have less influence on properties such as testosterone due to its “fewer androgenic properties.”
However, according to USADA, Ostarine is being investigated as a way to treat “muscle-wasting diseases” such as osteoporosis, cancer, and hypogonadism.
Why do athletes use it?
According WebMD‘Ostarine binds to proteins in the body known as androgen receptors. When Ostarine binds to these receptors, it tells the muscles to grow. ‘
Additionally, the drug is said to be used for diseases, breast cancer, and unintentional weight loss due to illness.
Because of its ability to build muscle, it is sometimes found in dietary supplements, particularly bodybuilding supplements, says WebMD, despite not being approved (more on this below).
Garcia surprisingly defeated Devin Haney late last month at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
How long can it stay in your system?
There have been several studies done on Ostarine and how long it can last in the body.
One, of the Manfred Donike Workshop, said Ostarine was detectable about two weeks after a 30 mg dose. Another study published in Wiley Analytical Science Set the schedule to nine days.
García has 10 days to request that his B sample be analyzed.
Have other athletes been caught?
While Garcia is the most recent athlete to have Ostarine detected in his system, he is certainly not the first.
Lucien Bute tested positive for the drug in 2016, while Amir Khan also had it in his system before his loss to Kell Brook in 2022.
The World Anti-Doping Agency reported 28 positive tests worldwide in 2015.
Amir Khan also tested positive for Ostarine before his fight against Kell Brook in 2022, which he lost.
How can it enter your body?
While Ostarine is not allowed to be in supplements, some manufacturers, according to USADA, illegally place the drug and other SARMS in products.
These products are sometimes labeled as “legal steroids” or “research only” chemicals.
Additionally, USADA says Ostarine can sometimes be omitted from supplement labels or given misleading names.
combat journalist Kevin Iole He said Ostarine is a supplement that should be taken in “extremely high amounts” and said Garcia may have been a victim of contaminated supplements if his testing levels were low.
