In November 2016, ASADA published an athlete warning on the banned substance Higenamine, following a spike in the number of detections. Since then, six more Australian athletes have tested positive for Higenamine, bringing the total number of positives for that substance to 13 across nine different sports. So if you take supplements, your sporting career could be at risk too.
ASADA has recently re-posted the warning to athletes about Higenamine – a banned substance that is often added to supplements to allow a greater volume of oxygen to be taken up into the lungs.
1 in 5 Australian supplements contain a banned substance, and these substances are not always listed on the label. This is not to say that athletes should stop consuming all supplements, as many approved substances can be beneficial to both performance and health.