Bodybuilding competitors Trevor Newton and Jay Goodwin are the latest athletes to receive bans from sport for testing positive to methylhexaneamine, the prohibited substance that led to a number of Australian athletes returning positive doping test results last year.
The Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority (ASADA) today acknowledged the decision by Australasian Natural Bodybuilding (ANB) to impose two-year sanctions on Mr Newton and Ms Goodwin for the presence and use of this prohibited substance.
Methylhexaneamine was detected in the samples ASADA collected in-competition from Mr Newton at the ANB 2010 Newcastle Classic on 12 September 2010 and from Ms Goodwin at the ANB Victorian Natural Bodybuilding Championships on 3 October 2010.
Mr Newton and Ms Goodwin’s bans mean they are ineligible to participate, as an athlete or support person, in any sport that has adopted the World Anti-Doping Code until 19 January 2013.
The results obtained by Mr Newton and Ms Goodwin at their respective events are disqualified and any medals, points and prizes awarded to them are forfeited.
Mr Newton and Ms Goodwin’s cases were partly responsible for ASADA’s October 2010 warning to athletes regarding methylhexaneamine being increasingly found in supplements, and these bans serve as a timely reminder to athletes to carefully consider their use of these products.
Under the World Anti-Doping Agency’s principle of strict liability, athletes are responsible for any substance found in their body, regardless if its use was intentional or not.
Methylhexaneamine, also referred to as dimethylamylamine and dimethylpentylamine, is classed as an S6 stimulant on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s Prohibited List and is prohibited incompetition. Generally, stimulants act directly on the central nervous system to speed up parts of the brain and body. They can increase alertness and reduce fatigue in athletes.
ASADA is continuing to work with the sporting community to educate athletes and support personnel about this substance and supplements. Any athletes unaware of their responsibilities are encouraged to seek additional information online at ASADA’s website
www.asada.gov.au
