New WADA Prohibited List enforced since January 1, 2026
The IWF would like to kindly remind its National Member Federations that the new WADA’s 2026 Prohibited List (for Substances and Methods) is in force since January 1, 2026. This List designates which substances and methods are prohibited both in- and out-of-competition and which substances are banned in particular sports.
Moreover, the 2026 Monitoring Program is also enforced from the beginning of this year. It includes substances that are not on the List, but that WADA wishes to monitor in order to detect potential patterns of misuse in sport.
Comparing the former version of these documents and the 2026 updated ones, the major changes are:
- Further examples or clarifications have been added to the following substance classes to help athletes and their entourage better identify prohibited substances:
- S1. Anabolic agents,
- S2. Peptide hormones, growth factors, related substances, and mimetics,
- S4. Hormone and metabolic modulators, and
- S6. Stimulants.
- The dosing intervals of salmeterol have been changed to avoid potential ergogenic effects, though the maximum daily delivered dose remains the same.
- More details have been given about the prohibition of withdrawal of blood and blood components.
- The non-diagnostic use of carbon monoxide (CO) has been added to the Prohibited Methods as a new section, M1.4. The use of carbon monoxide for diagnostic purposes, such as total hemoglobin mass measurements or the determination of pulmonary diffusion capacity, is not prohibited.
- Cell components (e.g., nuclei and organelles such as mitochondria and ribosomes) have been added to the existing prohibition of using normal or genetically modified cells.
- It has been clarified in the Glucocorticoids Washout Table that use of sustained-release formulations may result in detectable glucocorticoid levels past the washout period due to prolonged systemic absorption.
In order to better implement these rules, WADA has also important educational tools, namely available for Athletes and respective support personnel (ASP). Each year, WADA develops the Athlete and ASP Guide to the List, which is geared towards informing athletes and ASP of the specific changes they will need to onboard for the coming year. The Athlete and ASP Guide to the 2026 List can be accessed as an e-learning course on ADEL, or for anyone who benefits from a different format, a PDF copy of the course is also available.
RELEVANT DOCUMENTS/LINKS:
2026 List of Prohibited Substances and Methods
2026 Summary of Major Modifications and Explanatory Notes
Athlete and ASP Guide to the 2026 List as an e-learning course on ADEL
Athlete and ASP Guide to the 2026 List as a pdf course document
