In the wake of Jon Jones testing positive for benzoylecgonine, the main metabolite in cocaine, on Dec. 4, some have pointed to Jones' testosterone-to-epitestosterone ratio in the three tests made public this week as a cause for concern.
First, an explanation as to what T/E ratio means, courtesy of WebMD.com:
"Testosterone is the "male" hormone, accounting for strength and endurance. It occurs naturally in men and in smaller amounts in women. For every molecule of testosterone produced by the body, another molecule of a substance called epitestosterone, which does not enhance performance, is made.
In a normal male body, the ratio of testosterone to epitestosterone, the T/E ratio, is about 1:1. But variation can occur in individuals, and the World Anti-Doping Code has deemed 4:1 as the threshold for a positive test."
Note: Nevada's threshold is 6:1.
So on Dec. 4, Jones' T/E ratios came up as .29 and .35. Jones actually took two drug tests that day because, according to Nevada Athletic Commission executive director Bob Bennett, his first urine sample was "watery." On Dec. 18, his T/E ratio came up as .19. Clearly, all three ratios were below that of the average male.