What substances caused FIBA to ban Kiefer Ravena?

FIBA has decided that Gilas Pilipinas standout Kiefer Ravena will be sidelined until August 24, 2019 for testing positive for three ingredients that are in the list of prohibited substances by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

Ravena vehemently made it clear during a press conference on Monday that he never took any illegal substances such as cocaine, shabu, or marijuana.

The FIBA report said Ravena took a pre-workout formula called “Dust.” Ravena tested positive for three banned substances: DMBA, Methylhexaneamine, and Higenamine.

Dust is a pre-workout formula developed by Blackstone Labs, a Boca Raton, Florida-based company that describes itself as the “hardcore holy grail of supplements”.

As early as 2013, the US Food and Drug Administration had warned consumers about the presence of Methylhexaneamine or DMAA in dietary supplements.

“DMAA, also known as 1,3-dimethylamylamine, methylhexanamine or geranium extract, is an ingredient found illegally in some dietary supplements and often touted as a 'natural' stimulant,” it said in a statement.

“DMAA, especially in combination with other ingredients such as caffeine, can be a health risk to consumers. Ingestion of DMAA can elevate blood pressure and lead to cardiovascular problems ranging from shortness of breath and tightening in the chest to heart attack. Dietary supplements containing DMAA are illegal and FDA is doing everything within its authority to remove these products from the market.”

In another statement, the FDA said that it is “using all available tools at its disposal to ensure that dietary supplements containing a stimulant called dimethylamylamine (DMAA) are no longer distributed and available for sale to consumers in the marketplace.”

Another ingredient called DMBA, also known as 1,3-Dimethylbutylamine, is classified as a stimulant. In 2015, the FDA sent a warning to Dust creators Blackstone Labs, for selling its pre-workout formula “Angel Dust” as a “dietary supplement”.

“To the best of FDA’s knowledge, there is no information demonstrating that DMBA was lawfully marketed as a dietary ingredient in the United States,” the FDA said in its letter.

The Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority describes another banned ingredient, Higenamine, as a Beta-2 Agonist, which allows the lungs to take in more oxygen. According to its website, Higenamine “is prohibited in- and out-of-competition.” —JST, GMA News