The Truth About Lane Johnson And Amino Acids

Eagles Right Tackle Lane Johnson is facing a 10-Game Suspension for his second PED positive test.  Back in 2014 was Johnson's first positive test and according to ESPN NFL Insider Field Yates will void Johnson's 35.5 Million of Guaranteed Money, which he can still earn as non-guaranteed salary.  Jay Glazer of Fox Sports spoke with Johnson (one of the NFL Players who has trained in the offseason with Glazer) and here is the full length of the report he tweeted out on Tuesday afternoon:

Just heard from Lane Johnson, says he took an amino acid that was approved but tested positive for peptide. Fighting it as well as company. You're responsible for what goes in your body but he insists it was approved. Waiting on B sample

The irony of this statement from Glazer is that he is an individual who professes to be knowledgeable of fitness but his post misguides the reader into thinking that Aminos Acids or Peptides are substances an athlete can test positive for under NFL guidelines.  As someone who has held Certifications from NASM in Personal Training and Nutrition, I want to explain why this information is misleading from Glazer and why all of this is not what it may seem.

Amino Acids are the building blocks of protein and are found in every day foods such as Beef, Chicken, Eggs and Milk.  There are 20 types of Amino Acids and they are natural occurring in nature, so why would they need to be "approved" by the NFL and how would that result in Johnson testing positive for peptides?

Peptide is a compound consisting of two or more amino acids linked in a chain and can be found in foods such as Eggs, Milk, and Grains.  Again, like Amino Acids, these occur naturally, so why would Johnson test positive for peptides?

The key issue with Lane Johnson and his reported positive test is when Glazer said "fighting it as well as company".  There are hundreds of companies in the Supplements Industry that sell "Amino Acids" products and many of these companies add other products as part of the formula.  Very rarely do you find a company that sells Amino Acids as a stand alone product.  There is a strong possibility that what triggered the Positive Test was something that was added to the formula of the Amino Acids supplement.

An example of an Amino Acids product that is considered "Clean" by World Anti-Doping Agency and NFL Standards is MTS Nutrition Fuel.  This product has the following ingredients as part of it's formula:

L-Leucine: 3000 mg
L-Valine: 1500 mg
L-Isoleucine: 1500 mg

L-Taurine: 1000 mg
Agmatine Sulfate: 500 mg

The first three ingredients are Amino Acids and make up a Brain Chain Amino Acid Peptide Bond; these three help with protein synthesis in the body.  Taurine is a byproduct of the sulphurous amino acids Cysteine and Methionine; this is a Nitric Oxide Booster that helps with blood circulation and the delivery of nutrients.  Agmatine Sulfate is a Biogenic Amine that is derived from the Amino Acid L-Arginine; this is also a Nitric Oxide Booster that aids in the better protein assimilation in the body.

The above is an example of a product Lane Johnson would not have gotten in trouble for using.  But as you can see, a mainstream "Amino Acids" product contains more than just Aminos in the formula.  The likelihood is that Johnson got in trouble for taking a product that was formulated with other ingredients that triggered the positive test.

Since Amino Acids and Peptides are naturally occurring substances are not banned by WADA or the NFL, we have to wait to find out exactly what Johnson was taking and what he tested positive for before we jump to judgments or we start to condemn an entire segment of the Supplements Industry.  There are Synthetic Peptides and other Laboratory Made Substances that are banned so there is at times confusion about how these Supplements are different from their organic counterparts.

Checkout what Eagles Insider John McMullen had to say about the Lane Johnson news from Tuesday along with how the Eagles are preparing for the first Preseason Game on Thursday Night