James Dalton, the scientist who developed the drug Ostarine in the early 2000s, now spends more time trying to prevent its misuse than promoting its medical benefits. The drug, originally designed to help cancer patients rebuild muscle, has become a major challenge for anti-doping agencies due to its ability to transfer through sweat and contaminate supplements.
Ostarine belongs to a class of drugs known as selective androgen receptor modulators (SARMs), created as a safer alternative to traditional steroids. Unlike steroids, SARMs can be taken orally and were intended to build muscle without unwanted side effects such as hair loss, acne, or breast tissue development. However, no SARM has yet received medical approval, and concerns remain about potential liver damage.
Despite being unapproved, Ostarine has reached athletes through black market manufacturers who package it as a sports supplement, often labelled 'for research purposes' to skirt regulations. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) added SARMs to its prohibited list in 2008, and Ostarine is now the most commonly detected SARM in WADA laboratories, appearing in 114 athlete samples over the past two years.
Anti-doping rules operate under strict liability, meaning athletes are responsible for any banned substance found in their samples, regardless of how it entered their system. This has led to cases where innocent athletes test positive due to contaminated supplements or accidental transfer. For example, one athlete successfully argued that Ostarine transferred through a sweaty neoprene support shared with another athlete, leading to dropped charges.
The sensitivity of modern laboratory equipment can detect minute drug quantities, but cannot distinguish between intentional use, contaminated supplements, or passive transfer. This dilemma forces anti-doping authorities to rely on costly independent testing and recommended use of batch-tested supplements from organisations like Informed Sport or NSF Certified for Sport.
