He accepted his sanction after a positive result from an out-of-competition urine sample on July 28, where he failed for higenamine.

This substance is banned under the USADA Protocol for Olympic and Paralympic Movement Testing, as well as the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee's National Anti-Doping Policy and the International Weightlifting Federation's Anti-Doping Policy.

They have all adopted the World Anti-Doping Code and the World Anti-Doping Agency's prohibited list, which also outlaws higenamine.

An investigation found that the 25-year-old McCullough's positive test was caused by the use of two dietary supplements that listed higenamine on the label.

Due to the nature of the positive test, which saw McCullough declare the supplements in a doping control form and then cooperate with authorities, USADA called for a reduced ban of 20 months.

This ineligibility period started on July 28 and will end in March 2022.

McCullough has been disqualified from competitive results obtained on and subsequent to July 28.

His ban comes just weeks after another American was given a four-year sanction for testing positive for the banned substance clenbuterol.

Tiffany Parlor had her records and results scrubbed back to January 2018, the date that she bought a product with the substance in it, with the 31-year-old unable to compete again until late August 2024.