Noah: Using supplement to aid injuries ‘backfired’

Joakim Noah was seeking help to overcome injuries that wrecked his first season in New York and turned to an over-the-counter supplement. That decision “backfired,” Noah said Tuesday. It led to a 20-game suspension for violating the NBA's anti-drug policy , preventing Noah from ending a disappointing year on a positive note. “This was a tough moment, but I'm going to learn from it,” Noah said. “I tried to take a supplement to help me with everything I've gone through. I've gone through a lot of injuries, and I tried to take something to help me and it backfired.” Noah returned to practice Tuesday following Feb. 27 surgery to remove a loose body from his left knee. The knee injury came after a hamstring injury he was trying to recover from around the All-Star break. All told, he managed just 46 games in the first season of a fouryear, $72 million contract he signed last summer. “I wanted to do something to help myself, help my body and like I said it backfired on me,” Noah said. “I tried to take the right measures when I was taking the supplements and it wasn't enough.” The league cited Noah for Selective Androgen Receptor Modulator LGD-4033. The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency has said that the substance, known as SARMs, has “similar properties to anabolic agents, but ... the lack of steroid-related side effects.”