The Nevada State Athletic Commission has revised its policy to set new thresholds for previously prohibited substances in sports, as reported by MMAjunkie.com. During a meeting earlier this week, the commission settled on allowable thresholds for substances such as GW1516, dehydrochloromethyltestosterone (DHCMT) long-term metabolite (M3), clomiphene, epitrenbolone (trenbolone metabolite), and selective androgen receptor modulators (SARMS). This new policy is being instituted to make a clear distinction between “atypical” and “adverse” drug test results.
The NSAC executive director, Jeff Mullen, further explained the new policy. He asserted that any positive test for a proposed substance, which is below the fixed threshold, would be comprehensively examined. This would demand a review of the athlete’s test history, interviews and potentially additional tests. If the case presents further evidence that eliminates mitigating circumstances, then disciplinary proceedings would commence, which could include the filing of a formal disciplinary complaint and possibly the enforcement of a temporary suspension.
The UFC and its anti-doping partner USADA had implemented a similar threshold policy for their sponsored events. UFC’s chief business officer, Hunter Campbell, was present at the meeting and advocated for this change in policy. He noted that many of these so-called “atypical” results do not, in fact, enhance the athletes’ performance. Campbell pointed out that substances often detected in minuscule amounts offer no performance-enhancing benefits, and are more likely a result of contamination rather than intentional use. He mentioned the case of Jon Jones, who tested positive for trace amounts of the M3 metabolite from a failed drug test in July 2017 ahead of his UFC 232 title match in December 2018. Due to these findings, the event was moved from Las Vegas to California at the last minute, and Jones continues to test positive for the residual M3 metabolite and other substances like clomiphene.
The newly approved thresholds for the aforementioned substances are: SARMs – 0.1 ng/ml, GW1516 and its metabolites – 0.1 ng/ml, dehydrochloromethyltestosterone (DHCMT) long-term metabolite (M3) – 0.1 ng/ml, clomiphene/clomifene – 0.1 ng/ml, and epitrenbolone (trenbolone metabolite) – 0.2 ng/ml. This demonstrates the changes in the sporting world’s approach towards drug testing, prioritising the clear distinguishing of accidental contamination from intentional drug use.