On May 1, 2024, boxer Ryan Garcia tested positive for ostarine, a banned performance-enhancing drug.[1] Three weeks later, his B-sample re-confirmed the drug.[2] The A-sample had been taken the day before and the day of his April 20th upset win over Devin Haney, a victory that’s now in jeopardy of disqualification.
Boxer Ryan Garcia has failed two drug tests for banned performance-enhancing SARM ostarine, and has come out alleging that NutraBio Super Carb contains the banned drug. But does this make sense given NutraBio’s reputation for quality and testing? Mark Glazier of NutraBio has stated he’ll be defending his company “full force”.
On May 30th, 2024, Garcia then stunned the dietary supplement world by alleging that two different unsealed dietary supplements contained the drug:[3]
- NutraBio Super Carb, a popular carbohydrate supplement (Raspberry Lemonade flavor)
- Body Health Amino Acid Blend (Strawberry flavor)
The allegations are that Super Carb contained 70-2200 picograms per gram of powder, and Body Health aminos contained 660-830 picograms per gram.
This immediately raised suspicions from the dietary supplement industry, given that two completely different supplements allegedly tested positive for the drug, which would have an exceedingly low probability of happening.
In a June 14, 2024 update, NutraBio claims that they had Eurofins and BSCG both test “retain” samples of the SuperCarb lot in question, and tests confirmed that there was no ostarine found in the product.[4]
NutraBio: Supplements Without Compromise?
Additionally, NutraBio‘s reputation in the industry is based upon quality and third-party testing, so this was a shock to anyone within the space. They manufacture their own supplements (see our NutraBio Plant Tour), and are extremely critical of the ingredients entering the building, following all current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMPs)[5] to the letter.
We’ve also covered NutraBio’s 3rd Party Lab Testing initiative since it began in early 2017, and the company is well-known for its tagline, Without Compromise since 1996. Much of this is disclosed in our video embedded to the right.
Of course, having third-party lab tests for the main ingredient inside (Cluster Dextrin, a carbohydrate source) is not proof of absence of other compounds. So we reached out to NutraBio for comment, and the phone rang shortly after:
NutraBio’s Mark Glazier: “Going After This Full Blast”
We spoke on the phone to founder and CEO Mark Glazier, who doesn’t yet have an official comment on the record, but stated that there is no way ostarine was ever in the building and that NutraBio will be fighting this to the fullest. They’re taking every step to go after this, and they’re going after it full blast.
Super Carb: Just Cluster Dextrin, Electrolytes, Color, and Sweetener
We also talked about potential contamination of the incoming ingredient, but Glazier suspects it’s highly unlikely, given that Super Carb contains Cluster Dextrin from a Japanese company (Mitsubishi) that is known for impeccable manufacturing practices, it seems rather unlikely. There’s also color, sweetener, electrolytes, and malic acid in Super Carb — none of which are likely candidates for any type of tampering.
June 2, 2024 Update: NutraBio Leaves Public Comment
NutraBio posted the following on their Facebook page:
Middlesex, N.J. — NutraBio CEO & Founder Mark Glazier released the following statement regarding allegations surrounding Ryan Garcia:
“NutraBio has never manufactured a supplement with Ostarine, and has never brought Ostarine into our manufacturing facility. We have a long-standing commitment to producing the highest-quality supplements, trusted by athletes worldwide.
“NutraBio set the bar when it comes to guaranteeing products’ quality and safety and we are the first sports supplement company to have full-label disclosure. Our supplements are manufactured in our own GMP facility, meeting CFR Part 111 GMP regulations.
“We take any claims against our company extremely seriously and we will aggressively investigate the recent allegations made by Ryan Garcia’s camp. We stand by our process for ensuring the quality, safety and security of our products. We deeply appreciate the trust placed in us by our customers and athletes alike, and we are confident that trust is deserved.”
June 14, 2024 Update: Sealed Product from the Batch Tested, No Drugs Found
On June 14, 2024, NutraBio issued a press release stating that their retain samples had been tested at both Eurofins and BSCG — two of the world’s premiere testing services — and no ostarine was found.[4] Their statement follows:
“NutraBio categorically rejects the reckless claims made by professional boxer Ryan Garcia and his team that the NutraBio SuperCarb product caused Mr. Garcia’s positive test for Ostarine. Our company has consistently maintained a rigorous quality control process. NutraBio has never manufactured a supplement with Ostarine and has never brought Ostarine into our manufacturing facility for use in any product, ever. We have a long-standing commitment to producing the highest-quality supplements, trusted by athletes worldwide.
On June 14, 2024, NutraBio announced that they had a retain bottle from the lot in question tested at both Eurofins and BSCG, and no Ostarine was found inside!
“A retain of the SuperCarb lot in question has been tested for Ostarine at ISO 17025 accredited laboratories by Eurofins and BSCG (Banned Substance Control Group), both of which are leading independent third party testing providers. The testing confirmed there was no Ostarine detected in the product.
“Any express or implied statements suggesting that our product contained Ostarine when it was sold are completely unfounded. Making defamatory statements about our product and brand that rely on test results done on an unsealed, expired container handled by the accused individual has no credibility.
“Further, the minuscule amount of Ostarine allegedly detected in the open container of SuperCarb does not explain the amount of Ostarine identified in Ryan Garcia’s urine, which at 6 ng/ml is 60 times the testing limit.
“We take any claims against our company extremely seriously and stand by our process for ensuring the quality, safety, and security of our products.”[4]
Note the last bit regarding Garcia’s urine volume — an interesting point.
The supplement industry weighs in
The industry consensus? On the video embedded above, one PricePlow commenter named Ragnar put it succinctly:[6]
Nutrabio is the wrong product they chose for this. The owner is a savage when it comes to awareness and transparency of their products. This isn’t going to end well for the boxer lol[6]
Rick Collins’s take: a lawyer’s point of view
Rick Collins, the famous industry attorney and founding partner at Collins Gann McCloskey & Barry PLLC, posted on LinkedIn with his take:
Rick Collins (center) with Team PricePlow at the 2023 NPA DC Fly-In Day
Hmmmm. The first thing you do in a suspected contamination case is obtain and test a sealed bottle of the same batch of the supplement product. The statement by Garcia’s lawyer was weak.
If it really was a case of suspected supplement contamination, I would have verified that by testing an independently sourced sealed container, and then issued a press statement, suggesting an FDA investigation, a personal lawsuit, and the threat of a class action by all those consumers who may have unknowingly ingested a drug.
There was none of that. Instead, he was talking about accepting some level of punishment. Curious.
— Rick Collins, Esq.[7]
Victor Conte speaks up (via ESPN)
Victor Conte, who works with Devin Haney, is quoted in the ESPN article with the following:
“Test results simply cannot be authenticated because there is no chain of custody. Why are they testing powders from unsealed supplement containers?
“In my opinion, it seems likely that tampering may be involved. Testing of product samples from unsealed containers of the same manufacturing numbers is the place to start if the results are to be considered credible. How can test results from an unsealed container possibly be authenticated? This is not how credible science is conducted.”
— Victor Conte, advisor to Devin Haney[1]
Questions to be answered
As of early June, there are a few key questions to be answered:
Simply enter your lot number, and you’ll be able to view your own products batch lab test.
- What lot number of Super Carb Raspberry Lemonade did Garcia have? (This is reporetdly 233467B[8])
- What is the chain of custody on the tubs tested?
- What were the testing methods used?
Long story short – we need to get a sealed tub tested from the same lot and have it tested. This has now all happened, and since it doesn’t test positive, there will likely be… ramifications.
We’ll keep this article up to date as actions progress, but for now, the industry is on the defensive and is going to have to continue to fight to ensure its reputation.
We’re confident that Mark Glazier will come out ahead on this. After all, the last time someone attacked his company, it led to some of the greatest years of NutraBio’s long-lived run. You can stay in the loop by signing up for our NutraBio news below:
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Note: PricePlow has an affiliate relationship with NutraBio and provides data-tracking services to their sales team, but has no formal sponsorship with the brand.
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