Following his stunning win over Devin Haney, it has emerged that Ryan Garcia tested positive for PEDS – both before and after the fight.
Garcia tested positive for the banned performance-enhancing drug Ostarine after taking a test by Voluntary Anti-Doping Association boxing journalist Dan Rafael reported Wednesday night.
The boxer reportedly failed for the substance in two urine sample tests taken the day before the fight and also after the fight.
Garcia has maintained his innocence, labeling the reports as “fake news” and calling the claims that he cheated ahead of the fight “bulls***t.”
So what do we know about Ostarine, and is it possible that Garcia accidentally took it?
Ryan Garcia reportedly tested positive for Ostarine, a performance-enhancing drug
What is Ostarine?
As noted by the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), Ostarine is the trademarked name for a selective androgen receptor modulator (SARM).
This type of drug is not approved for use by the FDA and is said to have less impact on properties like testosterone due to its ‘less androgenic properties’.
However, according to the USADA, Ostarine is being investigated as a way to treat “muscle wasting diseases” such as osteoporosis, cancer and hypogonadism.
Why do athletes use it?
According to WebMD, ‘Ostarine attaches to proteins in the body known as androgen receptors. When Ostarine binds to these receptors, it tells the muscles to grow. ‘
In addition, the drug is said to be used for illness, breast cancer, and involuntary weight loss due to illness.
Because of its ability to grow muscle, it’s sometimes found in nutritional supplements, especially bodybuilding supplements, says WebMD — despite not being approved (more on that below).
Garcia stunningly defeated Devin Haney at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn late last month
How long can it stay in your system?
Several studies have been done on Ostarine and how long it can remain in the body.
One of the Manfred Donike workshop, said that Ostarine was detectable about two weeks later after a 30 mg dose. Another study published in Wiley Analytical Science sets the timeline at nine days.
Garcia has 10 days to request to have his B sample tested.
Have other athletes been caught?
While Garcia is the most recent athlete to be caught with Ostarine in their system, he is certainly not the first.
Lucien Bute tested positive for the drug in 2016, while Amir Khan also had it in his system before his loss to Kell Brook in 2022.
The World Anti-Doping Agency reported 28 positive tests worldwide in 2015.
How can it get into your body?
Although Ostarine is not allowed in supplements, according to the USADA, some manufacturers are illegally putting the drug and other SARMS in products.
These products are sometimes labeled as “legal steroids” or “research only” chemicals.
Additionally, the USADA says that Ostarine can sometimes be omitted from supplement labels or given misleading names.
Combat journalist Kevin Iole said that Ostarine is a supplement that you must take in “extremely large amounts,” and that Garcia may have fallen victim to contaminated supplements if his test levels were low.