Oh no...Not Another One

Breaking news today in the world of track: 2009 world champion in the men's 400m, Lashawn Merritt tested positive for DHEA, an IAAF banned substance. The American has dominated the 400m in recent years, consistently beating out rival Jeremy Wariner.

Here is the press release:

"According to Thursday’s release from lawyer Howard Jacobs, the American used an over-the-counter male enhancement product that contained substances that caused him to fail three successive tests between October and January."

Merritt released the following statement: "As an athlete, and strong advocate of fair competition; I have worked very hard to push myself to the outer limits of my physical abilities without any performance enhancement drugs. I’ve always prided myself on doing what’s right, and will continue to do so. o know that I’ve tested positive as a result of product that I used for personal reasons is extremely difficult to wrap my hands around. I hope my sponsors, family, friends and the sport itself will forgive me for making such a foolish, immature and egotistical mistake. Any penalty that I may receive for my action will not overshadow the embarrassment and humiliation that I feel inside.

I am deeply sorry and hope that other athletes who take these types of over the counter products will be even more cautious and read the fine print, because if it can happen to me, it could happen to you.”

This all sounds very suspicious. How many times now have athletes claimed to "unknowingly" take a banned substance? Frankly it's lame and inexcusable.

FYI: DHEA stands for Dehydroepiandrosterone. It is available OTC in the USA (here in Canada you need a prescription). DHEA is abused by some athletes for its ability to block the body's natural cortisol levels from breaking down lean muscle mass. Training induced stress greatly elevates serum cortisol levels and DHEA acts by countering this increase, thus creating an "anti catabolic effect".

Merritt is currently suspended from competition while his case is further investigated. Regardless of whether he is allowed to compete or not in the future, his career will probably be tainted forever due to this revelation.