By Ryan Burton
Viewers of last November's Manny Pacquiao-Antonio Margarito pay-per-view will recall that shortly before the fight began, controversy arose when the over the counter weight loss supplement, Hydroxycut, was found in Margarito's locker room. Pacquiao's trainer Freddie Roach asked that Margarito be immediately drug tested. The Texas officials said that they would conduct a drug test immediately after the fight per normal protocol.
BoxingScene.com recently caught up with Keith Kizer who is the executive director of the Nevada State Athletic Commission to talk about what effect that scandal may have on Margarito being licensed in Nevada for future fights. Hydroxycut contains ephedra which is banned by the NSAC and most other commissions from being used during most athletic competitions. Kizer told Boxingscene, "I don't think that (Hydroxycut) will have any effect whatsoever. His post fight drug test was clean so that shouldn't be an issue."
While ephedra may be banned from being used during competition (meaning during the actual boxing match) in Nevada, it is not banned during training. Kizer compared it to a fighter drinking alcohol before a fight. "If a fighter has a few beers a few days before his fight he is not breaking the rules. If a fighter tests positive for drinking in his post fight urine test then he is in violation. The same holds true for ephedra."
The rules for ephedra (Hydroxycut) are in stark contrast to the commission's rules on steroids. If a fighter tests positive for steroids at any time, the fighter is deemed in violation of commission rules. "Ephedra is different than steroids. A fighter caught on steroids is in violation of the rules of the Nevada State Athletic Commission. Steroids are a completely different story."
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