A second anti-doping offence has seen Canterbury basketball player Gareth Dawson banned from all sport for four years.
Dawson tested positive for the prohibited substance Higenamine after an NBL game in May and admitted to a sports tribunal hearing that he had taken the supplement 'Oxyshred' which contained the prohibited substance.
Higenamine allows the lungs to take in more oxygen.
Three years ago Dawson was banned for a year after taking another banned substance, tamoxifen which is used in breast cancer treatment but can also be taken to boost muscle mass.
Gareth Dawson of the Rams steals the ball from Nicholas Kay of the Southland Sharks. Photo: Photosport
Drug Free Sport New Zealand chief executive Nick Paterson said athletes cannot afford to be complacent when it comes to using supplements.
"We can't reiterate enough how important it is for athletes to check and double check every supplement which they are thinking of taking. Manufacturers do not always list all ingredients on the label.
"And even if the ingredients are listed, it is the athletes' responsibility to check that they are permitted in sport," Mr Paterson said.
"This is especially important with the new Prohibited List coming out on 1 January 2018."
Dawson's four-year ban has been backdated to 31 July 2017, for promptly admitting the violation.
The ban is recognised worldwide, meaning that he cannot participate in organised sport until 30 July 2021.
