Just as the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority (ASADA) recently issued a warning specifically regarding banned substance Higenamine, the Japanese Anti-Doping Agency has published a caution regarding a brand of nutritional supplements called ‘Anavite’.
Anavite markets its products as a ‘high potency’ multivitamin/mineral formulas with optimal, clinically validated doses of Beta-Alanine and Carnipure (L-Carnitine L-Tartrate). Benefits of taking the supplement, per Anavite, include increasing vasodilation and nitric oxide availability and maximizing aerobic and anaerobic sports performance.
However, the JADA points to Anavite as the potential culprit for a failed in-competition doping test performed at the National Sports Festival of Japan, which took place earlier this month. Although the specific swimmer hasn’t been identified, the JADA points to his/her having taken Anavite and the possibility that the product contributed to the positive anti-doping test.
“Not all ingredients are displayed” warns the JADA, which means that this particular supplement may contain different ingredients, including those that may be banned. Athletes are urged to obtain their nutritional requirements from meals, rather than relying on supplements that are always at risk of being tainted. The JADA reiterates that following the anti-doping rules is the responsibility of competitors.
You can read the Japanese Anti-Doping Agency’s statement on Anavite here.