Introduction
Gym supplement use has become popular with many health-conscious people, and there are now many types available. Some have attracted considerable controversy because of their chemical composition and how manufacturers have pushed the boundaries of what goes into these powders.
The two that have caused the most confusion with workplace drug testing are Craze and Jak3d.
Pharmacology
Jak3d. This powder used to contain DMAA (1,3-dimethylamylamine). As of August 2012, it became illegal to own, distribute or use DMAA. The chemical caused many non-negative results with instant cups and immunoassay testing, because it cross-reacted with amphetamines. Confirmatory testing using LCMS can determine whether the material in the urine is amphetamines or DMAA, but as DMAA is now illegal, neither is acceptable. The manufacturer of Jak3d has stopped adding DMAA, so people using this supplement, if it was made after August 2012, will not have a problem with it.
Craze. This supplement also gives non-negative results for amphetamines on immunoassay testing or instant cups. Phenylethylamine (PEA) is a constituent of this popular gym supplement. PEA is structurally very similar to phentermine, the active ingredient in a prescription diet medication called Duromine. LCMS confirmation can distinguish between the two. Safe Work Laboratories does not confirm PEA, because it is a non-AS4308 drug, but if someone has taken Craze, LCMS confirmation of an instant cup or immunoassay positive will come back negative.
Usage
Both compounds can cause confusion because they produce non-negative results on initial testing. Only confirmatory testing using LCMS gives the employer certainty about what the employee has taken.
Side effects
DMAA and PEA are chemically very similar to amphetamines. Little is documented about their effects, but anecdotal evidence suggests they act like very low levels of other amphetamine-like compounds.
Detection
Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry remains the most reliable way to detect PEA and DMAA and to distinguish them from other amphetamine-like substances.
Summary
Gym supplement use is extremely popular with many young adults, and manufacturers have increasingly added low levels of compounds with amphetamine-like properties. Because instant cups are not sensitive enough to identify specific chemical structures, this has caused considerable confusion and lost working hours when staff are stood down for taking a supplement they believed was legal but which produces a non-negative result for amphetamines. Jak3d (previously) and now Craze both do this.
LCMS testing remains the best and most accurate way to determine exactly what an employee has taken. A ban on gym supplements is unlikely to be enforceable, so educating staff and their managers remains the best way to prevent confusion on this issue.
Source: Safe Work Laboratories.