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The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has confirmed that the 2026 Prohibited List and the 2026 Monitoring Program are now in force as of 1 January 2026.
Approved by WADA’s Executive Committee on 11 September 2025, the Prohibited List is one of the eight International Standards that are mandatory for all Signatories to the World Anti-Doping Code. It identifies substances and methods that are prohibited in-competition, out-of-competition, and in some cases in particular sports.
The 2026 Monitoring Program includes substances that are not prohibited, but which WADA monitors to help identify patterns of potential misuse in sport.
Major modifications for 2026
As outlined in the 2026 Summary of Major Modifications and Explanatory Notes, the main changes include:
- 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.
Educational resources
WADA provides a range of educational tools to support implementation of the revised List:
- For ADOs: As part of its Code Implementation Support Program, WADA has developed a checklist to help ADOs take the right steps to prepare their organization and athletes to implement the revised list. As a general resource that targets process rather than specific changes in any given year’s List, it can be consulted on an annual basis. The checklist is available here.
- For Athletes and 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 available here.
Languages and formats
The 2026 Prohibited List, the 2026 Summary of Modifications and Explanatory Notes, and the 2026 Monitoring Program are available for download on WADA’s website in English, French, and Spanish.
Stakeholders wishing to translate the List into other languages are kindly asked to signal their interest to code@wada-ama.org. WADA will then provide the necessary files and, once the translation is finalized, will make the translated List available on the Agency’s website.
The List’s mobile-friendly digital edition is now available.
The Therapeutic Use Exemption Program
It should be noted that athletes who have a legitimate medical reason for using a prohibited substance or method that is on the List can apply for a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) to determine whether they meet the criteria outlined in the International Standard for Therapeutic Use Exemptions (ISTUE). The TUE Program is a rigorous and necessary part of elite sport and has overwhelming acceptance from athletes, physicians, and anti-doping stakeholders.
For further information, please visit the IWBF Anti-Doping pages or the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) website.
