Methylhexaneamine (MHA), at the centre of a doping debate, has been retained in the Prohibited List for 2012 by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). The new list will be effective from January 1, 2012.
The stimulant, which was brought into the list in 2010, created quite a stir in Indian sports circles when a dozen sportspersons tested positive for it prior to the Commonwealth Games.
Almost around the same time, the WADA announced the shifting of MHA from the ‘non-specified' stimulants group to the ‘specified' category, thereby providing a provision in the rules to stipulate a sanction ranging from a waning to two years suspension.
The relaxation for 2011 was made applicable to cases from September 2010 also, thus paving the way for the participation of a number of Indian athletes, charged with the MHA offence, in the Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games since their provisional suspensions could be lifted.
The hearing process has continued in 11 of those cases even though it is past one year now since the hearing began before the Dinesh Dayal-headed disciplinary panel. Interestingly, there had been speculation in India whether MHA would be retained in the Prohibited List for 2012.
Much of this arose from the assumption that the substance was supposed to be easily available in food products, cooking oils, massage oils etc and was prone to be “inadvertently” used by athletes.
It is true that several dietary supplements are available in the market that contain MHA as one of their main ingredients.
In a few cases it has also been established that supplements, without MHA being listed on the label, were contaminated by the stimulant.
Yet, no case has been proved, despite claims by athletes, their lawyers and some ‘experts', that MHA was available in common food products or can be absorbed through the skin if used as massage oil, in sufficient enough quantity to turn up as a ‘positive' test.
In fact, contrary to claims, there have been reports to indicate that geranium, which is classified under food in the U.S., did not contain MHA, thereby questioning the “inadvertent use” theory.
This year, however, athletes benefited by claiming they had used some supplement or the other which did not mention either methylhexaneamine or dimethylpentylamine, the two names available in the Prohibited List, and they could not be held responsible since they had taken sufficient care to check whether substances listed were banned or not.
Classic example
The case of Australian rugby player Kurt Foggo, initially suspended for two years, but later partially reprieved by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) which reduced his suspension to six months, was a classic example last May of such a loophole being exploited.
Significantly, the WADA has not elaborated on the synonyms of MHA even in the 2012 Prohibited List, retaining the names methylhexaneamine and dimethylpentylamine.
However, in its ‘summary of modifications' there is an explanation.
It says, “as a reminder some stimulants may be available under several other names, for example ‘methylhexaneamine', sometimes presented as dimethylamylamine, pentylamine, geranamine, Forthane, 2-amino-4-methylhexane, geranium root extract or geranium oil.”
It is debatable whether hearing panels and CAS would give credence to such a note unless it is brought into the text of the ‘Prohibited List'.
Methylhexaneamine topped the stimulants list for adverse analytical findings world-wide, in all sports, in 2010 with 123, accounting for 21.4 per cent of cases in that particular drug class.
The most significant change in the 2012 list is in the Beta-2 agonists section, with permission being given for the use of formoterol, an asthma medication, through inhalation route up to a daily therapeutic dose of 36 micrograms.
