The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has released the 2026 List of Prohibited Substances and Methods, which took effect on January 1, 2026. The list outlines substances and methods that are banned both in- and out-of-competition.

Key Changes for 2026:

• As outlined in the 2026 Summary of Major Modifications and Explanatory Notes, the major modifications for 2026 include the following:
• 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.