Read your labels! This simple task could have saved a track athlete from being banned and from a courtroom loss.
Maryland-based track athlete Phillipe H. DeRosier, Jr.’s case against USPlabs, a popular supplement maker, was thrown out today. The federal judge in Maryland dismissed the $1.8 Million lawsuit filed by DeRosier who was blaming the company for his testing positive for a substance banned in competition.
DeRosier was banned by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) for his use of a substance called DMAA, found in the USPlabs product Jack3d. DMAA is a mild stimulant and the USADA bans stimulants for use in competition.
Jack3d is a “nitric oxide” pre-workout supplement designed to enhance blood flow and increase endurance levels. The energy enhancing product can be purchased from many supplement dealers across the country. Because the presence of the DMAA compound was listed on the product label, the court’s rulings dismissed DeRosier’s claims that the company was legally responsible for his sanction by the USADA.
“The athletes bear ultimate responsibility for knowing which substances are banned in competition,” said company spokesman Jack Deschauer. “USPlabs’s product ingredients are clearly labeled, and the product is perfectly legal to be sold and consumed throughout the United States; however, some nutritional supplements are safe and legal, but still contain substances that are performance enhancing, and therefore are not allowed in sanctioned competition. It’s unfortunate that this happened to Mr. DeRosier, but the courts ruled fairly and justice prevailed.”
Unfortunate indeed for DeRosier. A grim reminder to always know what you’re putting in your body.