London Olympic Games silver medallist, Nijel Amos was on Tuesday provisionally banned from athletics after he tested positive for a banned substance, GW1516.
GW1516 has not been approved for medication and has no recognised therapeutic uses. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has advised of its health risks for athletes.
In 2017, there were 31 sanctions related to this compound worldwide. GW1516 is known by many names including cardarine and endurobol. According to the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), GW1516 is often advertised as a selective androgen receptor modulator and is prohibited under the S4.5 Metabolic Modulators on the WADA prohibited list. Substances in this category modify how the body metabolises fat and GW1516 was originally synthesised and evaluated for the treatment of obesity, diabetes, and other disorders caused by metabolic problems.
GW1516 was pulled from clinical trials when it was found to cause cancer, which means it has not undergone human studies and is not safe for use.
The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) said through a statement that they collected a sample from Amos during an out-of-competition test on June 4.
“WADA accredited laboratory that analysed the sample notified the AIU of the adverse analytical finding on Tuesday. Amos was notified of the adverse analytical finding and his mandatory provisional suspension yesterday in Eugene,” the statement reads.
Amos was due to compete in the men’s 800m heats at the World Championships on July 20.
