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WADA Published the 2027 Prohibited List

The annual update provides new guidance on substance metabolites and specific anti-estrogenic agents.

Updated on Sept. 29, 2026 in Olympics

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The World Anti-Doping Agency released the 2027 Prohibited List, updating classifications for performance-enhancing substances and metabolites to standardize international anti-doping procedures. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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The World Anti-Doping Agency has released its 2027 Prohibited List, which introduces updated classifications for performance-enhancing substances. The document includes specific clarifications regarding how results management should handle metabolites of substances of abuse.

Why it matters

Regular updates to the prohibited list ensure that anti-doping protocols remain aligned with current scientific knowledge and evolving pharmacological trends in sports. These refinements help maintain competitive integrity by providing clear, standardized definitions for athletes and oversight bodies.

The updated list includes a modified S4.2 section covering Anti-Estrogenic Substances, SERMs, and SERDs. Athletes can verify the status of specific ingredients through the Global DRO service, which currently operates across 7 countries.

The players

World Anti-Doping Agency

This international independent agency is responsible for promoting, coordinating, and monitoring the fight against doping in sport.

Sport Integrity Canada

This federal organization is tasked with ensuring a safe and fair sporting environment within Canadian athletics.

The details

The 2027 list explicitly clarifies that the presence of metabolites for substances of abuse must be accounted for during results management procedures. Furthermore, while cannabidiol remains permitted, WADA warns that products may inadvertently contain prohibited concentrations of THC.

Timeline

  1. WADA began managing the annual publication of the prohibited list in 2004.

  2. The 2027 Prohibited List was officially published on September 29, 2026.

  3. The new regulations take effect globally on January 1, 2027.

Season Trajectory

The annual list update follows the requirements set forth in the WADA World Anti-Doping Code to adapt to medical advancements. This iteration maintains the organization's regulatory framework, ensuring global consistency across all sanctioned international competitions.

Athletes are required to confirm that any supplements or medications comply with the new S4.2 definitions before January 1, 2027. Failure to account for inadvertent THC contamination in CBD products could result in positive test results under the new management guidelines.

The takeaway

Athletes should use the Global DRO service to verify the status of every substance before consumption. Staying informed about annual list updates is the only way to avoid accidental violations that could jeopardize a professional career.

Further reading

For more information on the evolving standards for international competition, visit our Olympics section.

Source note: This article includes information reported by The Sport Information Resource Centre.

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