Tyson Gay and Asafa Powell, the two fastest sprinters in the world this year, have both tested positive for the banned amphetamine oxilofrine.
What is oxilofrine?
Oxilofrine is a stimulant drug of the amphetamine class that was developed and used to treat hypotension (low blood pressure) in people who do not respond to conventional treatment. Oxilofrine is the prescription name for methylsynephrine, hydroxyephrine, and oxyephrine. It is not widely used in the UK and is not a licensed drug in the US. Some companies use oxilofrine, in the form of synephrine, in “sports nutritional supplements” as it is thought to allow people to enhance fat-burning and lose weight. Synephrine is present as a natural component of Citrus aurantium, otherwise known as “bitter orange”, but it can also be synthesised artificially or extracted from plant sources and purified.
What are its effects?
Oxilofrine is thought to give a sporting edge by increasing the production of adrenaline, so boosting exercise endurance, focus, alertness and heart rate, and increasing oxygenation of the blood.
Is it dangerous?
Continued long-term abuse of a drug such as oxilofrine could put someone at risk of tachycardias (very high heart rate), cardiac dysrhythmia (irregular heartbeat) and haemorrhagic stroke. It can also cause hypertension (high blood pressure) if taken by people with normal blood pressure.
Why is it banned?
Oxilofrine is banned because it is considered a performance-enhancing drug. Oxilofrine is on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) list of banned substances.
Other doping Drugs:
Methylsynephrine, hydroxyephrine, oxyephrine and 4-HMP, seems to be an unlikely drug to be caught up in a doping scandal for runners.
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