Dimitar Kutrovsky, the
Bulgarian tennis player, has just been found guilty of doping and banned for
two years for using a banned stimulant 1, 2. The drug in question is
4-methylhexan-2-amine, (otherwise known as methylhexanamine, 1,3 dimethylamylamine,
DMAA, DMP, Forthane or Geranamine amongst other sobriquets). In 2010 it earned
the moniker “drug of the year” on Ross Tucker’s science of sport web page 3.
As noted in my book, at the time it was in danger of becoming the new
nandrolone, in that it was a drug that was triggering a spate of positive doping
tests at least in part due to its presence, labeled or otherwise, in
supplements taken by athletes.
So what is methylhexanamine? Originally trademarked in
1944 as a nasal decongestant, it was repackaged in 2006 as part of a sports
supplement by one Patrick Arnold, the same chemist who synthesized the “undetectable”
steroid THG that Dwayne Chambers took. Like most decongestants that are taken
to relieve cold or flu symptoms methylhexanamine also has stimulant properties.
In some parts of the world, such as New Zealand, it has been used
recreationally as a party pill.
Methylhexanamine is an
ingredient in many products that claim to improve performance. For example Jack3d – the product Kutrovsky took –
is aimed at bodybuilders. It is worth noting that no one has shown any
performance benefit for methylhexanamine – in fact I am unaware of any
scientific performance study at all on this drug. It was originally “marketed”
in part due to its supposed similarity to ephedrine, a stimulant that is now
available only on prescription due to concerns about its safety. It is worth
noting that, unlike methylhexanamine, the performance effects of ephedrine have
been studied but are less than impressive.
The wheels seem to be
coming off the methylhexanamine train. Like ephedrine the authorities are
concerned about its safety. It seems to be able to restrict blood flow
centrally, not just peripherally, with a consequent increase in blood pressure 4.
It has recently been banned as an ingredient in supplements in New Zealand. In
the USA the influential Food and Drug Administration have not banned it
outright, but they have called on the manufacturers to prove it is safe 5;
this is likely to amount to the same thing, as supplement manufacturers don’t
have the resources or expertise to undertake the relevant clinical trials.
So this drug is on the
banned list, it has no proven performance benefits, it is potentially harmful
to health and is readily detectable by the anti doping agencies. If I was of a
humourous bent I would tell all athletes thinking of using it to Jack it in…….
1 Thanks to University of
Essex student, Tom Green, for bringing this story to my attention
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