WWE: Did Roman Reigns Test Positive For Adderall? Understanding How The Drug Works In The Body

WWE superstar Roman Reigns returned to the WWE roster at a house show on Saturday after serving a 30-day suspension for violating WWE’s drug policy. The drug that Reigns tested positive for has not officially been released, but it was reported by the Inquisitr that the drug Reigns took was most likely the amphetamine known as Adderall.

What Is Adderall

Adderall is a stimulant that works by changing the brain chemistry and altering the body’s central nervous system. Basically, Adderall is prescription methamphetamine. When a person takes the drug, the pleasure center in the brain kicks into action by releasing dopamine. This is what gives the person that “feel good” feeling. Normally, the dopamine reuptake portion of the brain will begin to bring the dopamine level down to its normal level, but when Adderall is in the central nervous system, the dopamine reuptake portion of the brain is blocked. Without the dopamine reuptake center, the person has the constant “feel good” feeling until the Adderall is processed and removed from the body. The half-life of Adderall is 10 hours, which means it can stay in your body for a decent amount of time depending on the dosage of the pill taken. Typically, Adderall can be found through a urine drug screen one to four days after you have taken the drug. For people who use it commonly, the drug can be detected seven to ten days after taking the last pill.

The half-life of Adderall is 10 hours which means it can stay in your body for a decent amount of time depending on the dosage of the pill taken. The half-life of a medication is important because that is what determines how long a drug is detectable in the body. Adderall can be found through a urine drug screen one to four days after you have taken the drug. For people who use it commonly, the drug can be detected seven to ten days after taking the last pill.

The medical problems that Adderall is prescribed to treat include narcolepsy (a disorder that causes the person to fall asleep instantly at any time of the day) and ADHD.

As a street drug, Adderall is used a lot by students. By taking this drug without one of the disorders it is used to treat, Adderall can enhance a person’s ability to focus. There are many studies out there trying to determine if it actually increases the ability of a student to study, retain information, and perform better cognitively on tests. As of now, the results are split.

For athletes like Roman Reigns, Adderall is used as a performance enhancing drug. It has been banned by every professional sports organization unless the athlete has a valid prescription. Dr. Gary Wadler, past chairman of the World Anti-Doping Agency’s Prohibited List Committee, commented on the performance enhancing abilities of Adderall and why athletes are gravitating to it.

“It masks fatigue, masks pain, increases arousal — like being in The Zone. It increases alertness, aggressiveness, attention and concentration. It improves reaction time, especially when fatigued. Some think it enhances hand-eye coordination. Some believe it increases the mental aspects of performance.”

There is no question that the schedule that WWE has is one of the hardest for any athlete in the world. Superstars like Roman Reigns have to do more than just wrestle over 300 days a year. Reigns is forced to do public relations events due to where he is positioned in the upper echelon of the WWE.

The question going forward is whether Roman Reigns will stay in his position as one of WWE’s top talents. He is arguably the first big name superstar to be suspended for violating WWE’s drug policy. It will be interesting to see how he is booked now that he has returned.

Do you think the WWE will make an example of Roman Reigns going forward?

[Image via WWE]