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What Substances CrossFit Games Athletes Need to Know About

crossfit's drugs policy

Ricky Garard tested positive to a banned substance in 2017

The 2022 CrossFit Games season is close to getting underway.

In February next year, the CrossFit Games Open takes place, and then from there a handful of athletes will embark on months of events – aiming to qualify for the CrossFit Games later in the year.

The Sanctional events will take lace throughout the year in locations right across the globe. And at every one of these events, there will be CrossFit health officials testing athletes to ensure no one is using banned substances to gain an unfair advantage.

As is the case with many sports, there are always some athletes to, for whatever reason, “accidentally” take a substance they “did not know” was banned. This can happen in life when people aren’t fully informed about what they can and can’t take as a supplement.

So – to make things a little easier for any of the few athletes aiming to compete in the 2022 CrossFit Games, here is a list of supplements athletes should familiarise themselves with, and NOT take if they are serious about competing.

g list only extends to the substances found in CrossFit athletes and does not include the full list of banned substances, like many assisting in growth hormone therapy, from WADA.

(S1) Anabolic Androgenic Steroids in CrossFit

Clenbuterol

Intended for chronic breathing disorders like asthma. CrossFit athletes Stella Christoforou and Pawel Lesnikowski have tested positive to this substance.

Drostanolone

Intended for use in treatment of breast cancer. Also known as dromostanolone, Drolban, Masteril, and Masteron.

Enobosarm

This drug was in testing for treatment of muscle wasting and osteoporosis.
Seven CrossFit athletes have tested positive for Enobosarm, including:

Shawn Ramirez, Lauren Shawver, Andre Sanches, Richard Bohlken, Nick Thomas, Josee Sarda, Tony Turski.

LGD-4033

Also known under the name of VK5211 and Ligandrol. CrossFitters Carlos Castillo and Andre Sanches have tested positive for this.

Metandienone

Bodybuilders often use metandienone. Arnold Schwarzenegger was a vocal user.

Nandrolone

Steve Pinkerton is the lone CrossFit athlete, at time of writing, to test positive for Nadroline.

Oxandrolone

Oxandrolone is common AAS in professional sports.

In CrossFit, four athletes have tested positive. They include Elia Navarro Garcia, Natalie Newhart, Rachel Campbell, and Megan Benzik.

Stanozolol

CrossFit athletes Maria Ceballos, Stephanie Araujo, and Vivian Bomfim have tested positive to this substance.

Testosterone

CrossFit athletes Pawel Lesnikowski and Andrey Ganin have tested positive.

Testosterone in drugs like Andriol, Androderm, AndroGel, Testim, TestoGel, Sustanon, and Omnadren.

Testolone

Ricky Garard tested positive for Testolone in 2017.

Trenbolone

Charis Chan tested positive for this in 2016.

Turinabol

Used by CrossFit athlete Nuha Almarri.

(S2) Peptide Hormones, Growth Factors, Related Substances, and Mimetics

Endurobol

Six CrossFit athletes have tested positive, including Ricky Garard, Fabio Botteghi, Joel Munro, Nuha Almarri, Shawn Ramirez, and Kelli Holm.

Ibutamoren

CrossFit placed sanctions on Emily Abbott after testing positive for this in 2018.

Meldonium

The drug fights restricted blood flow disorders, such as ischemia. CrossFitter Gena Malkovskiy tested positive for this in 2018.

(S3) Beta-2 Agonist

Higenamine

This substance is in various over-the-counter supplements and has unverified weight loss properties. Known as norcoclaurine and demethylcoclaurine, Laura Hosier tested positive in 2018.

(S4) Hormone and Metabolic Modulators

Anastrozole

Known under the brand name of Arimidex.

Clomifene

Five athletes have tested positive for Clomifene. They are Dean Shaw, Penny Kemp, Ryan Elrod, Andrea Barbotti, and L’duvit Czokoly.

Letrozole

The drug Femara is the product name of Letrozole. It’s used to treat breast cancer.

Tamoxifen

Intended as a breast cancer prevention method. Tamoxifen is also a treatment for infertility.

(S6) Stimulant

Amphetamine

Amphetamine drugs treat ADHD, narcolepsy, and obesity.

CrossFit athletes Megan Benzik and Taylar Stallings have tested positive.

Methylhexanamine

Kara Paslay, Ben Bergeron, and Derek Mohammad have tested positive for this.

Modafinil

CrossFit announced Pawel Lesnikowski tested positive to this drug in 2017. It treats sleepiness due to narcolepsy.

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