Therapeutic use exemption for testosterone replacement therapy in MMA

[Steroid News]

How difficult is it for an MMA fighter to obtain therapeutic use exemption for the use of medically-approved testosterone replacement therapy (TRT)?

Don Catlin:

"What we do in the IOC, is we have specialists all over the world who all they do for us is conduct examinations for athletes who claim to be low on testosterone," said Catlin. "The levels of testosterone in men vary all over the place. Unless this particular person we send them to, and the people they send the data to for examination say so, we don’t give them [a TUE]. I think in all the years I’ve done it, we’ve given two. One was a kid who didn’t have any testicles because he had a terrible accident ten years ago or something. It just doesn’t happen."

Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) executive director Keith Kizer:

"I think there’s an impression among the general public that everybody’s getting exemptions for [testosterone replacement therapy]. I can’t speak for other states, but for us it’s probably about one a year asking and it’s 50/50 whether they’ll get approved. To even ask you’ve got to be able to prove that your testosterone is below normal -- not just low -- but below normal. Then you have to have a note from your doctor detailing your treatment plan, what the underlying cause is, showing that it’s not going to put you at undue risk or give you an unfair advantage, and then our doctor talks to their doctor."

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