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Ultimate Fight Championship (UFC) announced a potential anti-doping violation committed by UFC welterweight Tim Means during out-of-competition testing. The substance in question is technically not an anabolic steroid but a selective androgen receptor modulator (SARM).
"UFC organization was notified today that the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) has informed Tim Means of a potential Anti-Doping Policy violation stemming from an out-of-competition sample collection. USADA, the independent administrator of UFC's Anti-Doping Policy, will handle the results management and appropriate adjudication of this case.”
Ostarine (also known as MK-2866 and enobosarm) was originally an investigative drug developed by Merck & Company. The pharmaceutical company GTx, Inc. took over development of the product in an agreement with Merck. The bodybuilding community has closely followed the development of SARMs because of its purported promises of all the benefits of an anabolic steroid with none of the side effects.
SARMs are technically not considered anabolic steroids. But since they exert their actions on the androgen receptor (AR) just like anabolic steroids, they essentially act the same for all intents and purposes.
The side effect profile of some SARMs may be somewhat better than other traditional steroids. However, when a drug acts on the androgen receptor, some side effects are simply unavoidable. In particular, SARMs have been shown to disrupt the HPT axis and suppress natural testosterone production just like traditional steroids.
A few sports nutrition companies have illegally sold SARMs like Ostarine as dietary supplements during the course of the past year. However, most have since discontinued such sales after being sued by their competitors for false advertising under the Lanham Act and unfair competition under the California Business and Professions Code.
In particular, these companies have been called out for claiming that SARMs were safe. This is particularly problematic because SARMs share many of the potential side effects of anabolic steroids especially anabolic steroid-induced hypogonadism (ASIH).
Means insisted that he never used steroids and has strongly suggested that USADA's adverse analytical positive was incorrect. Means told MMA Oddsbreaker that he couldn't have used steroids because he is such a “skinny dude”.
"I'm working my ass off. I'm not cutting corners and that's what I'm sticking to. I don't need to go Anderson Silva-style and say it was Viagra or whatever. All my shit's working correctly. I'm a skinny dude. If I'm taking steroids, it's gonna show. This was just something that popped up and it was a low, small amount.”
Means has asked USADA to confirm the Ostarine positive by testing his B sample. He feels that he will be vindicated based on the expectation that the B sample will turn up negative.
“They want to test the other urine but I have to put it in writing first. They should have done that before they pulled me from the show to make sure that they were right. How many other tests are going through, cross-contamination, going through those machines? They test 500 fighters now, all these things keep popping up. What's to say contamination isn't on their end? I'm gonna jump through the hoops they want me to and this will all get straightened out in the end. The truth always prevails."
Unfortunately for Means, it doesn't matter if USADA clears him after testing the B sample. He will still miss his next fight. UFC has already pulled him from his scheduled fight against Donald Cerrone on UFC Fight Night 83 in Pittsburgh on February 21, 2016.
The best case scenario for Means would be to avoid a lengthy suspension and fine.
"UFC organization was notified today that the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) has informed Tim Means of a potential Anti-Doping Policy violation stemming from an out-of-competition sample collection. USADA, the independent administrator of UFC's Anti-Doping Policy, will handle the results management and appropriate adjudication of this case.”
Ostarine (also known as MK-2866 and enobosarm) was originally an investigative drug developed by Merck & Company. The pharmaceutical company GTx, Inc. took over development of the product in an agreement with Merck. The bodybuilding community has closely followed the development of SARMs because of its purported promises of all the benefits of an anabolic steroid with none of the side effects.
SARMs are technically not considered anabolic steroids. But since they exert their actions on the androgen receptor (AR) just like anabolic steroids, they essentially act the same for all intents and purposes.
The side effect profile of some SARMs may be somewhat better than other traditional steroids. However, when a drug acts on the androgen receptor, some side effects are simply unavoidable. In particular, SARMs have been shown to disrupt the HPT axis and suppress natural testosterone production just like traditional steroids.
A few sports nutrition companies have illegally sold SARMs like Ostarine as dietary supplements during the course of the past year. However, most have since discontinued such sales after being sued by their competitors for false advertising under the Lanham Act and unfair competition under the California Business and Professions Code.
In particular, these companies have been called out for claiming that SARMs were safe. This is particularly problematic because SARMs share many of the potential side effects of anabolic steroids especially anabolic steroid-induced hypogonadism (ASIH).
Means insisted that he never used steroids and has strongly suggested that USADA's adverse analytical positive was incorrect. Means told MMA Oddsbreaker that he couldn't have used steroids because he is such a “skinny dude”.
"I'm working my ass off. I'm not cutting corners and that's what I'm sticking to. I don't need to go Anderson Silva-style and say it was Viagra or whatever. All my shit's working correctly. I'm a skinny dude. If I'm taking steroids, it's gonna show. This was just something that popped up and it was a low, small amount.”
Means has asked USADA to confirm the Ostarine positive by testing his B sample. He feels that he will be vindicated based on the expectation that the B sample will turn up negative.
“They want to test the other urine but I have to put it in writing first. They should have done that before they pulled me from the show to make sure that they were right. How many other tests are going through, cross-contamination, going through those machines? They test 500 fighters now, all these things keep popping up. What's to say contamination isn't on their end? I'm gonna jump through the hoops they want me to and this will all get straightened out in the end. The truth always prevails."
Unfortunately for Means, it doesn't matter if USADA clears him after testing the B sample. He will still miss his next fight. UFC has already pulled him from his scheduled fight against Donald Cerrone on UFC Fight Night 83 in Pittsburgh on February 21, 2016.
The best case scenario for Means would be to avoid a lengthy suspension and fine.
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