Young athletes have been told to avoid supplements after six sports supplements containing illegal drugs were recently discovered for sale in stores in Aotearoa.
Consumer New Zealand, which carried out the investigation, mystery-shopped at sports supplement stores and found six products that contained seven illegal drugs. The drugs ranged from amphetamine-like stimulants to prescription medicines used to treat ADHD and Parkinson's disease.
The drugs found were Beta-phenethylamine (PEA), Octodrine, N-Methyltyramine Hydrochloride (4-hydroxy-N-methylphenethylamine), Deanol, Mucuna pruriens, Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA) and Hordenine.
Beta-phenethylamine is a class C drug that acts as a stimulant. Phenethylamines are a class of amphetamine-like substances found in many illegal drugs, such as MDMA, Consumer NZ says.
Beta-phenethylamine was found in Lit the F%#k up by Liberty Labz, which was purchased at Supplement Solutions in Wellington.
Deanol, also known as DMAE, DMEA and dimethylethanolamine, is an amino acid produced in the brain. Any product with more than 10 milligrams per litre or kilogram of Deanol is classed as a prescription medicine. The drug may cause insomnia, muscle tenseness and spontaneous muscle twitches.
Consumer NZ says it was used to treat children with ADHD and autism but has been withdrawn from the market.
Deanol was found in Perfect Sports Burn FX which was bought from supplements.co.nz.
Mucuna pruriens is a legume. Its seeds contain high concentrations of levodopa, which is used to treat Parkinson’s disease.
Mucuna pruriens was found in Terminator Test by Killer Labz which was bought at Xplosiv Supplements in Wellington.
Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is a class B drug. It's used to treat stress, anxiety, depression, and high blood pressure and can be used to make gamma-hydroxybutyrate or GHB.
It was found in Focus Aid Melon Blend by Life Aid Beverage Co which was purchased on supplementsdirect.co.nz.
N-Methyltyramine hydrochloride (also known as NMT and 4-hydroxy-N-methylphenethylamine) is a class C drug.
It was found in ViperX by Blackstone Labs which was bought at thecavenutritionstore.co.nz.
Drug Free Sport New Zealand (DFSNZ) chief executive Nick Paterson said he isn't shocked by the findings.
"Although it seems unthinkable that illegal drugs could make their way into supplements for general sale, we're unsurprised at the findings of this investigation and commend Consumer NZ for their work."
Paterson said anyone who plays sport at "any level" should think carefully before using supplements.
"Our message is clear. Supplements are a threat to clean athletes. We advise anyone who plays sport at any level to think carefully before taking supplements. You're bound by your sport's anti-doping rules, and one dodgy supplement could leave you with a ban from all sport."
Patterson said he was also concerned by the growing popularity of supplements among rangatahi in Aotearoa.
"It's deeply concerning that some of these supplements look like something a well-meaning parent could buy to support their teen during exam season," he said. "Our advice to anyone supporting a young athlete is to avoid supplements. A food-first approach to nutrition can give rangatahi everything they need to train hard and recover safely."
The Consumer NZ investigation comes after a 2016 Australian study found one in five supplements contained substances that are prohibited in sport and unlisted on the label.
Paterson warned poor manufacturing practices and inadequate labelling and regulation mean that you can never be 100 percent sure what's inside a supplement, even in New Zealand.
It's a concern shared by Consumer NZ which warned sport supplements don't need to be proved safe before they can be sold in Aotearoa.
Instead the seller must ensure the product is an acceptable quality and safe to use.
