Amir Khan has been banned from all sports after testing positive for a banned substance.
UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) said the 36-year-old had a positive result for the anabolic drug ostarine after his fight with Kell Brook in 2022.
Khan would lose the fight to rival Brook via TKO in the sixth round.
UKAD notified Khan of this on April 6, 2022 and issued him a provisional suspension, meaning he has known about this for 12 months. Three months later, they then charged the boxer with two anti-doping rule violations for the presence and use of a banned substance.
But what is ostarine? And what does it mean for Amir Khan? Sportsmail provides all the answers below.
Amir Khan has been banned from all sports after testing positive for the banned substance ostarine
The results came shortly after Khan’s (L) last fight against Kell Brook in 2022
what is ostarine?
Ostarine is a type of drug called a selective androgen receptor modulator (SARM).
It is commonly used by athletes and bodybuilders to improve overall cognitive functioning.
Ostarine attaches to androgen receptors in the body and signals muscles to grow. Although the drug is occasionally found in supplements, it is a banned substance in martial arts and therefore subject to strict testing protocols.
Research has shown that SARMs have less androgenic properties, meaning they have less impact on the development and balance of male hormones, including testosterone.
There is interest in ostarine for the treatment of a number of muscle wasting diseases, including cancer, osteoporosis and hypogonadism.
Some dietary supplements may contain SARMs, such as ostarine, and are sold as “legal steroids” or “research-only” chemicals, according to USADA.
Ostarine is commonly used by athletes and bodybuilders to improve overall cognitive functioning
What about athletes?
Ostarine is known to attach to the proteins called androgen receptors in the user’s body.
It might just be the go-to option for people looking to gain muscle mass quickly without using any kind of steroids.
When you use these types of anabolic drugs, your body will grow muscle mass instead of adding fat to the body.
However, the drug is not healthy and your body may start to show signs of weakness quite soon after.
There can be a gain of about five to seven pounds, sometimes even more in a six-week cycle while bulking.
After his loss to Brook in 2022, Amir Khan retired from boxing
Khan enjoyed a brilliant career that would see him win the lightweight title
Anyone taking ostarine for longer than eight weeks may report certain side effects that are common with steroids.
During a fight camp, athletes will mainly lose a lot of kilograms so that they can reach the agreed weight category prior to their fight.
Ostarine can also be used during the weight and cutting phase. During the period of weight reduction, people often resort to strict diets – mainly missing out on conventional caloric intake.
Ostarine has the ability to maintain both muscle strength and mass during caloric deprivation.
It has proven to be the ideal product for body improvement cycles where you want to build muscle mass while reducing excess fat.
What does it mean for Amir Khan?
Khan has been banned from all sports for two years after violating the doping rule.
Khan, who retired in May 2022, revealed that he did not know what drug was in his system.
He would end his career with 34 professional wins and six losses since his debut in 2005.
An independent tribunal ruled out “intentional or reckless conduct” by the former lightweight champion.
The ban on all sports is deemed to have taken effect on April 6, 2022 and will expire on April 5, 2024.
Speaking on Sky Sports News on Tuesday morning, Khan denied any suggestions of wrongdoing on his part, as he said: “I’ve just now heard about it too so I have no comment at the moment but I’m reaching out to you to give my opinion.
“I’ve never cheated. I am a retired fighter and at the same time you can see from my performance that my performance against Kell Brook was not the best.
“I lost the fight and if I went in there and beat Kell Brook in my life it would be different.
Speaking on Sky Sports News, Khan denied any suggestions of wrongdoing on his part
“I have never cheated in my life and I am the one who wanted the testing of the fight and also the amount that was in my system could have been by shaking hands with people.
“I don’t know what drug was in my system. Ostarine. I’ll be in touch. I have never cheated in my life and I never will.
“And I’m a retired fighter, so if I got a two-year suspension, it’s kind of strange and funny that they banned me – I’m already retired.
“I don’t have any comeback plans at all, but like I said, I’ve never cheated and I never will and it’s never something I will.”