Vine, of Victoria, B.C. Canada, tested positive for trace amounts of 19-norandrosterone following the 2002 Xterra World Championships in Maui. At the time, he was sponsored by Hammer Nutrition and was using Endurolytes. As a result of the positive drug test, Mike Vine was suspended from competition for two years, and has returned to racing on the Xterra circuit, winning the 2005 and 2006 Mountain Championships and finishing second in the 2007 U.S. Pro Series standings.

After the UCI Montreal World Cup race on May 31, 2003, then T-Mobile pro cyclist Amber Neben’s drug test revealed trace amounts of 19-norandrosterone. At the time, the American was a member of a professional women’s cycling team that was sponsored by Hammer Nutrition, and was using Endurolytes. As a result of the positive drug test, Amber Neben was suspended from competition for six months. Neben returned to competition after the ban. She is currently a member of the Flexpoint Cycling Team and has been ranked among the top 10 cyclists in the world, winning numerous major stage races.

19-norandrostenediol, a urinary metabolite of the banned steroid precursor norandrostenedione, is the moderately anabolic base of the steroid Deca-Durabolin. It was allowed to be sold in the United States after new legislation made it legal to sell it as a nutritional supplement. 19-norandrostendiol has been reported to increase strength, initiate rapid and massive muscle growth and allow for faster recovery.

Jacobs said there would be three possible causes for a product contamination. “The raw materials can be contaminated to start with. Or, they are making a product with norandrostenedione and don’t clean the encapsulation machine. Or, it’s intentionally spiked,” he said.

“The purpose is to reimburse the athlete for lost income, but it’s the damage to the reputation that is often the bigger part of the puzzle,” the athlete’s lawyer told Triathlete. “You can’t ever turn back the clock, but to some degree, it helps athletes have closure on the event. Right now, if you Google Rebekah Keat, the first thing you find is that she tested positive. It was the same with Olympic swimmer Kicker Vencil. But if you do it now, you’re likely to find stories about how he sued a supplement company and the jury awarded him about $600,000. ”

Hammer Nutrition founder and president Brian Frank told Triathlete the lawsuit is frivolous. His statement reads: “The allegations contained in this press release and the lawsuit it references are baseless. We are confident that when all of the facts are known, we will be vindicated of any wrongdoing. We have referred this matter to our insurance provider who will be tendering our defense under our product liability coverage.” Endurolyte, a capsule product designed to reduce cramping in endurance athletes, has an ingredient list that includes sodium chloride, calcium, magnesium, potassium, Vitamin B-6, manganese and L-Tyrosene. The AthletesLawyer Doug Landau has taken Endurolytes at the suggestion of triathlon coaches, and has not had any untoward experiences with it. It is often given away in race bags and is recommended for longer races where salt depletion may become a factor. Herndon Reston area Sports Injury Lawyer Doug Landau notes, however, that as an amateur age group athlete, he is not subject to blood or urine testing, as is true of the majority of multisport athletes taking these supplements. Only a tiny fraction of professional triathletes, competing in the Olympics or World Championships are subjected to mandatory drug testing.