What the Prohibited List is and when it changes
The List names the substances and methods banned in sport and says when each ban applies: at all times, in competition only, or in particular sports [1]. WADA reviews it every year with scientific, medical and anti-doping experts. The new List is published about three months before it takes effect on 1 January, and in exceptional circumstances a substance or method can be added at any time [1].
According to WADA, a substance or method can be added if it meets any two of three criteria: it can enhance performance, it poses a real or possible health risk to the athlete, or it violates the spirit of sport. Substances that mask other prohibited substances are also banned, and anything lacking approval for human use is likely to be prohibited too [1].
When this page was checked on 20 October 2026, WADA’s resources page showed the 2026 List as in force since 1 January 2026 and offered no 2027 List [2]. Separately, a revised World Anti-Doping Code and International Standards, approved in December 2025, come into force on 1 January 2027 [6]. Check WADA’s site for the current List before relying on any detail here.
“Specified” and “non-Specified”: what the labels mean
Each class on the List says whether its substances are Specified or non-Specified. WADA stresses that both kinds are prohibited; the distinction matters only when a sanction is decided [1]. A Specified substance or method can, under defined conditions, allow a tribunal to reduce a sanction further, because WADA accepts that some substances can enter the body inadvertently [1].
WADA adds that Specified substances are not necessarily weaker doping agents, and that the label does not lift strict liability, the rule that makes athletes responsible for every substance found in their body [1]. For the peptides discussed below, S0 substances are Specified, while those in S2 and S4.4 are non-Specified [1].
S0: non-approved substances
Section S0 is prohibited at all times. It covers any pharmacological substance that no other section addresses and that no government health authority currently approves for human therapeutic use: drugs in pre-clinical or clinical development, discontinued drugs, designer drugs and substances approved only for veterinary use [1].
WADA names BPC-157 as an example in this class, alongside 2,4-dinitrophenol (DNP), ryanodine receptor-1-calstabin complex stabilisers and troponin activators [1]. In its answers WADA explains that most prohibited substances fall into sections S1 to S9, and that a substance is placed in S0 only rarely, after a case-by-case evaluation [1].
Because S0 is defined by approval status rather than by a list of names, an investigational compound that is not named anywhere may still fall within it. Whether a specific product does is a question for your anti-doping organisation, not something to infer from a search result [1].
S2: peptide hormones, growth factors and mimetics
S2 is prohibited at all times, all its substances are non-Specified, and it also covers substances with a similar chemical structure or biological effect to those named [1]. The table below lists the subsections most relevant to peptides, with the examples WADA gives. It is a reading aid, not a substitute for the List.
| Subsection | What it covers | Examples WADA names |
|---|---|---|
| S2.1 | Erythropoietins and agents affecting red blood cell production | EPO, darbepoetins, EPO-mimetic agents such as peginesatide and pegmolesatide [1] |
| S2.2.1 | Testosterone-stimulating peptides in males | Chorionic gonadotrophin, luteinizing hormone, GnRH and its agonist analogues, kisspeptin and its agonist analogues [1] |
| S2.2.2 | Corticotrophins and their releasing factors | Corticorelin, tetracosactide [1] |
| S2.2.3 | Growth hormone, its analogues and fragments | Lonapegsomatropin, somapacitan, somatrogon; fragments AOD-9604 and hGH 176-191 [1] |
| S2.2.4 | Growth hormone releasing factors | CJC-1293, CJC-1295, sermorelin, tesamorelin; ibutamoren (MK-677), ipamorelin, anamorelin, macimorelin; GHRP-1 to GHRP-6, hexarelin [1] |
| S2.3 | Growth factors and growth factor modulators | IGF-1 and its analogues, mechano growth factors, thymosin-β4 and its derivatives such as TB-500 [1] |
| S4.4.1 | Activators of AMP-activated protein kinase (in S4, metabolic modulators) | AICAR, MOTS-c, BAM15 [1] |
| S4.4.2 | Insulins and insulin-mimetics | Named as a class [1] |
Approved medicines appear on the List too
The List is about sport, not about whether a medicine is legitimate. S4.4 covers insulins, and WADA’s own TUE page points out that many common medicines people would not link with doping, such as insulin for diabetes and some blood pressure medicines, are on the List [1][5].
An athlete with a medical need for a prohibited substance can apply for a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) through their anti-doping organisation [5]. The separate article on TUEs explains the four conditions and the process.
What changed for 2026
- Pegmolesatide was added to S2.1 as an example of a new EPO-mimetic agent [3].
- BAM15, a synthetic substance that WADA says has been found in supplements, was added as an example of an AMPK activator in S4.4.1 [3].
- A new method, M1.4, covers non-diagnostic use of carbon monoxide through re-breathing systems [1][3].
- The 2026 summary records no change to the peptide examples in S0, S2.2.3, S2.2.4 or S2.3 [3].
“Not listed” does not mean “allowed”
WADA states that absence from the List is no proof that a substance is allowed, since most categories only give common examples. Its search tool carries a similar note: if you cannot find a substance, verify its status with your anti-doping organisation [1].
The 2026 List text we read does not name semaglutide, tirzepatide, retatrutide or the term GLP-1 [1]. That observation is not a ruling. Only your anti-doping organisation can confirm the status of a specific medicine for your sport, and the List can change each January [1][2].
WADA also runs a Monitoring Program for substances that are not prohibited but whose use in sport it wants to watch [4]. Colostrum shows how indirect the rules can be: WADA says it is not specifically prohibited but may contain prohibited growth factors that could affect a test, and it advises against taking it [1].
What the research says about these peptides
Evidence in people is thin for many of the peptides named above. A 2025 systematic review of BPC-157 in orthopaedic sports medicine found 36 eligible studies, 35 of them preclinical and one a small clinical study, and no clinical safety data. Its authors noted possible harm from unregulated manufacturing and contamination, and advised clinicians to make sure athletes understand their organisation’s rules [7].
A 2026 narrative review of peptides used in sports medicine, covering BPC-157, TB-500, CJC-1295, ipamorelin, MOTS-c and others, described a “gray market” operating largely outside regulatory oversight and concluded that rigorous human safety data are scarce [8]. Reviews of this kind summarise other studies; they do not test the products themselves.
Methods matter too: injections and infusions
The List also covers methods. Under M2.2, intravenous infusions or injections of more than 100 mL in a 12-hour period are prohibited, except those legitimately received in hospital treatment, surgical procedures or clinical diagnostic investigations [1]. Since 2021, M2.2 has been a Specified Method [1].
WADA’s answers make two points clear. An injection with a simple syringe is not a prohibited method in itself if the substance is not prohibited and the volume stays within 100 mL per 12 hours. And in situations such as trauma, severe dehydration or intractable vomiting, an athlete should receive proper treatment and apply for a retroactive TUE as soon as reasonable [1].
For anyone tested, a dated record of what was taken, when and why, and who prescribed it, makes TUE paperwork and questions from an anti-doping organisation easier. WADA asks athletes to declare medicines and supplements taken in the previous 7 days on the doping control form [5].
