WADA Issues 2026 Prohibited Substances and Methods List

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has released its annual list of prohibited substances that came into force on 1 January 2026 as a mandatory international standard under the World Anti-Doping Code. The explanatory notes clarify several important updates designed to help athletes and support personnel better understand what is banned at all times, in competition, or in specific sports.

Major changes include expanded examples and clarifications across key substance classes such as anabolic agents, peptide hormones and growth factors, hormone and metabolic modulators, and stimulants; a revised dosing interval for salmeterol aimed at avoiding potential performance enhancement without changing its maximum daily dose; and more detailed rules on blood manipulation, including prohibiting the withdrawal of blood or blood components except for legitimate medical or research purposes.

The list also introduces the non-diagnostic use of carbon monoxide as a newly prohibited method, expands the prohibitions on gene and cell doping to include cell components such as mitochondria and ribosomes explicitly, and clarifies that sustained-release glucocorticoids may remain detectable beyond standard washout periods.

WADA has also published related educational tools and monitoring programs to support compliance and awareness of substances under observation for potential future inclusion. The list is not exhaustive, and athletes remain strictly liable for any prohibited substance found in their system and are strongly encouraged to proactively check medications and supplements before use to avoid inadvertent anti-doping rule violations.