Yesterday, CrossFit HQ shared details on two more CrossFit athletes who have tested positive for banned substances. Ben Garard and Manila Pennacchio both tested positive for banned substances on April 16th and will be barred from from formal CrossFit competition for the next four years.
This year, Garard finished 226th in the CrossFit Open and 17th in Australia. To date, Garard has competed in seven CrossFit Opens, four Regionals competitions, and one CrossFit Games. He took home 15th place in the individual men’s Open category at the 2015 CrossFit Games. In 2017, Garard’s brother Ricky Garard tested positive for banned substances after placing third at the CrossFit Games.
Pennacchio finished 62nd overall in the Open and placed second in Italy. She has competed in six CrossFit Opens and two Regionals competitions.
We’ve included details below about Garard and Pennaccio that were shared in CrossFit HQ’s official press release:
- Garard, an individual male competitor, tested positive for GW1516 sulfoxide and GW1516 sulfone, which are metabolites of GW1516, on April 16, 2019, after withdrawing from the Down Under CrossFit Championship. GW1516 is classified as a metabolic modulator. Garard is suspended for four years as of May 17, 2019, and will not be eligible to compete again until May 17, 2023.
- Pennacchio, an individual female competitor, tested positive for GW1516 sulfoxide and GW1516 sulfone, metabolites of GW1516, on April 16, 2019, at the Italian Showdown. Pennacchio is suspended for four years as of April 26, 2019, and will not be eligible to compete again until April 26, 2023.
The substance Garard and Pennacchio both tested positive for is commonly referred to as Cardarine or Endurabol. This substance is often believed to function as a SARM, however that’s not true, as it’s actually a PPARδ receptor agonist.
For context, the current research that has been performed with Endurabol on mice has suggested that this substance has the potential to dramatically increase endurance performance (1).
Feature image from @bennygarard Instagram page.
References
1. Narkar, V., Downes, M., Yu, R., Embler, E., Wang, Y., & Banayo, E. et al. (2008). AMPK and PPARδ Agonists Are Exercise Mimetics. Cell, 134(3), 405-415. doi:10.1016/j.cell.2008.06.051
