Despite the fact that the performance-enhancing supplement admittedly used by Lance Armstrong to win the Tour de France is legal,* NY State Senator Jeffrey Klein would like to see it banned.
Often referred to as a “natural ingredient” in many performance enhancing drinks and powders, which claim it is derived from geranium oil or geranium stems, DMAA (dimethylamylamine) is actually a synthetic nasal decongestant made in labs and has been added to this products artificially. It is currently under review by the FDA to determine whether or not it as dangerous as Klein and others contend. In the meantime, however, dimethylamylamine has been temporarily removed from military stores in the United States.It has also been banned in in New Zealand, following several reports linking it to serious, life-threatening side effects. In addition, it has been labeled a “drug” in Canada and is not permitted in dietary supplements or natural health products.
“Before marketing products containing DMAA, manufacturers and distributors have the responsibility under law to provide evidence that their products are safe,” notes the Daniel Fabricant, a spokesman with the FDA. “So far they haven’t done that.”
Yet, while a number of professional sports associations have already banned its use, including NASCAR, the NCAA, NFL, Major League Baseball, The NBA, and the US Tennis Association, not to mention guidelines set forth by the International Olympics Committee, Klein points out that student athletes are “being led to believe that these products will give them an edge over their competitors. However, they are dead wrong. Not only are these stimulants dangerous, the athletes using them are a drug test away from ending their sports careers,” he stated.
*It should be noted that Senator Klein has yet to bring his proposal for banning DMAA before fellow legislators as of this printing.
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