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Leo Nogueira Explains Why He Failed USADA PED Test

Leo Nogueira Explains Why He Failed USADA PED Test

USADA announced on Monday that Leonardo Pires Nogueira, of Dunwoody, Ga., an athlete in the sport of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, has tested positive for a prohibited substance and accepted a two-year sanction for his anti-doping rule violation.
Nogueira, 29, tested positive for clomiphene as the result of an in-competition drug test conducted on June 5, 2016, at the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) World Jiu-Jitsu Championships held in Long Beach, Calif. Although the IBJJF is not a signatory to the World Anti-Doping Code, USADA was contracted by IBJJF to conduct testing for the event and collected Nogueira’s sample in accordance with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) International Standard for Testing and Investigations.

Clomifene, also known as clomiphene, is a medication used to treat infertility in women who do not ovulate. This includes those who have polycystic ovary syndrome. Use results in a greater chance of twins. It is taken by mouth once a day.

Common side effects include pelvic pain and hot flushes. Other side effects can include changes in vision, vomiting, trouble sleeping, ovarian cancer, and seizures. It is not recommended in people with liver disease or who are pregnant. Clomifene is in the selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM) family of medication. It works by causing the release of gonadotrophin by the hypothalamus.

Under the World Anti-Doping Agency Prohibited List, clomiphene is prohibited at all times as an anti-estrogenic substance in the S4 Category of Hormone and Metabolic Modulators.

Clomiphene has also appeared as an undeclared ingredient in black market products sold on the internet for performance-enhancing use. Athletes should be aware that there may be serious health risks and quality control issues associated with buying medications from suppliers other than licensed pharmacies or physicians.

Recently stripped of his 2016 World Championship due to a drug test failure, Leo Nogueira and his personal trainer Jason Colleran share their side of the story and provide details of the incident to the BJJ community to Ryan Ford of The Grappling Central Podcast. Despite the fact that Ryan knows Leo personally,  he delivered a very unbiased and fair interview.

Leo stated:

I heard about the news 1 month and a half after the worlds. I contacted my personal trainer Jason and my lawyer and we saw that it was something from one of the supplements. It was a big surprise. I wasn’t expecting that you know. I wasn’t feeling good coming up to that tournament. I was recovering from an injury.

On his plans:

My plan is like..There’s nothing I can do to change to change the penalty. I will be more cautious with what kind of supplements I’ll take. My advice for other athletes is to make sure that you be careful with what you take.

Nogueira’s two-year period of ineligibility began on June 5, 2016, the date his sample was collected. In addition, Nogueira has been disqualified from all competitive results achieved in competitions sanctioned by the IBJJF, or any Code signatory, on and subsequent to June 1, 2016, the date the 2016 IBJJF World Jiu-Jitsu Championships started, including forfeiture of any medals, points, and prizes. IBJJF has agreed to impose the sanction.

Colleran said that Nogueira actually came into the 2016 Worlds in far worst shape. They shared this picture:

7 Worst Excuses MMA/BJJ Athletes Have Offered After Doping

You can listen to the whole interview here:

Bigger, Stronger, Faster: The Doping Cultures of BJJ & MMA