Braulio - Thoughts.

Hey Guys,

Today I am going to talk about the 2 year suspension of Braulio Estima by the IBJJF for failing a drugs test.

As many of you will know I had an article published in BJJ Style magazine this month on performance enhancing drugs within the sport of BJJ. Because of this I have received numerous E Mails and messages asking me what my opinion of the suspension.

I am going to say right here and now I have no opinion either way on whether the suspension should be upheld or not. I also have no opinion on what happens within Braulios camp or team as I am not involved with him in any way. I was also not there on the day he was tested so I cannot comment on what happened.

Here is the official response from Braulio,

"It is with much sadness that I announce my decision to accept a two-year period of ineligibility as a sanction for an anti-doping violation.

As my wonderful and loyal supporters will recall, at this year’s World Championships held in June, I did not fight beyond the semi-finals, as I won the title by agreement with my friend and fellow teammate Romulo Barral.

Regrettably, after the semi-final match, knowing that I had finished competing, unfortunately I let my guard down and stopped being careful about what I was eating and drinking. I drank from others’ beverages and had snacks without looking at and taking care of the ingredients – inexcusable behavior for an athlete, even at the end of competition. Unfortunately, something that I ingested that day must have contained the prohibited stimulant Methylhexaneamine, for which I tested positive a short time later. It should be noted that Methylhexanemine is non anabolic and non steroidal but is listed as prohibited with the USADA and therefore as Athletes we need to be fully aware and paying attention of what we are eating and drinking.

I have done everything I can to assist the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) with its investigation.  Because I cannot pinpoint the exact source of the prohibited substance, however, nor explain precisely how I ingested it, I have no choice but to accept the standard two-year sanction.

This experience has been a wake-up call to me and I dearly hope it serves as a lesson to my fellow competitors. We as athletes must bear full responsibility for any and all substances found in our bodies and we must be ever vigilant about safeguarding ourselves from even accidental contamination, particularly in the midst of competition. I apologize sincerely for this mistake and vow that it will never happen again. I will without any doubt continue to participate and compete in jiu jitsu with a greater awareness.

I  would like to thank my family, friends, fans and sponsors for their unflappable and ongoing support during this difficult and frustrating time."

Braulio Estima

Ok, so lets look at the facts.

Braulio tested positive for using Methylhexanemine.

Methylhexanemine is a substance that is on the WADA banned list (the list the IBJJF uses for banned substances). Methylhexanemine is a compound that is often used in pre workout powders and fat burners. It is a pretty serious substance that has had at least 5 deaths attributed to it. Methylhexanemine is not anabolic in any way.

This highlights the need for athletes to have a strong control over what they are eating and drinking all the way through competition. If you are competing in an organisation which tests for banned substances you MUST remain in control of all aspects of your nutrition till all tests have been completed. 

I am hoping that this serves as a cautionary tale to all the athletes that are coming up through the sport. As BJJ gets bigger and more popular it will continue to follow other sports with more stringent guidelines on what athletes can, and cannot take.

Stay Healthy,

Mike