A pre-workout ingredient banned in CrossFit competition has cost Laura Hosier and her box their shot at the 2018 CrossFit Games.
In a post uploaded to her Instagram, Hosier put up a picture of the offending supplement (Allmax Impact Igniter) with an explanation of what happened.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BkL-KF3BrZO/?hl=en&taken-by=lahosier
Today I received an email from @crossfitgames informing me that I had tested positive for higenamine. A compound found in the pictured preworkout I had taken.
I take full responsibility for consuming this product. I drank it. It was delicious. It was blue. And that was about all I knew about it. I bought it at a local shop and didn’t think twice. In retrospect I should have.
I am embarrassed and appalled that my ignorance is costing my teammates their shot at competing at the CrossFit Games. I am sorry to everyone who helped and supported me on this journey. I fucked up.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BiCtAxshlnR/
Higenamine, sometimes referred to as norcoclaurine, is what’s called a beta2-adrenergic agonist and it occurs naturally in many plants, including some in the coffee and bamboo families. In medicine, beta2-adrenergic agonists are most often used to treat lung conditions like asthma and COPD because they help to dilate bronchial passages, but they also appear to dilate blood vessels, which could result in improved athletic performance. (That’s the theory anyway, there aren’t many good studies that have been done on humans.)
Higenamine is also marketed as a “fat burner” and while it’s legal in the United States, the European Union, and the United Kingdom, it currently sits on WADA’s “prohibited at all times” list along with many other beta2 agonists that aren’t for treating lung problems.
Not only has her failed test resulted in Hosier’s disqualification, CrossFit East Woodbridge is also out of the running. Hosier went to the 2016 Reebok CrossFit Games with her gym and her team came 32nd overall after finishing 5th in the East Regional.
This is obviously unfortunate for East Woodbridge and proves a good reminder for every athlete: always triple check your supplements.
Featured image via @lahosier on Instagram.
