2025 WADA list of prohibited substances
Friday, December 20, 2024
Article summary
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has published the 2025 List of Prohibited Substances and Methods, which enters into force on 1 January.
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It is crucial that all players and support personnel are aware of the updates to the List to make sure that they are operating within the rules.
The List is one of the eight International Standards that are mandatory for all signatories of the World Anti-Doping Code, designating what substances and methods are prohibited in- and out-of-competition, and which substances are banned in particular sports.
WADA has also published:
- the 2025 Summary of Major Modifications and Explanatory Notes as compared to the 2024 List;
- the 2025 Monitoring Programme, which includes substances that are not on the List, but that WADA wishes to monitor in order to detect potential patterns of misuse in sport.
The List is released before it takes effect so that athletes, coaches, medical staff and other personnel can acquaint themselves with the modifications. Players are personally responsible for prohibited substances found in their body, as well as prohibited methods found to have been used. Player support personnel are also liable for anti-doping rule violations if it is determined that they are complicit.
Consequently, if there is any doubt as to the status of a substance or method, it is important that players and their support personnel contact their respective National Anti-Doping Organisation (NADO) or UEFA’s Anti-Doping Unit for advice.
Inclusion criteria
Substances are included in the list if WADA, in collaboration with scientific, medical and anti-doping experts, determines that they meet any two of the following three criteria:
- It enhances or has the potential to enhance sporting performance.
- It poses an actual or potential health risk to the athlete.
- It violates the ‘spirit of sport’ (as defined in the Code).
Substances or methods which mask the effect – or impede the detection – of prohibited substances are also prohibited, as is any substance which has not been approved for human use by any governmental regulatory health authority.
Summary of modifications to the prohibited list
The below summarises the main changes to the Prohibited List for 2025. However, please consult the Summary of Major Modifications for the full details.
S3. Beta-2 Agonists
The maximum daily dose of inhaled formoterol has not changed, (54 micrograms over 24 hours), however, players can now only therapeutically inhale up to 36 micrograms over any 12-hour period.
M1. Manipulation of Blood and Blood Components
WADA has clarified that donation of blood or blood components (e.g. plasma, red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets and peripheral blood stem cells) including by apheresis is not prohibited when performed in an accredited collection centre.
S6. Stimulants
Hydrafinil (fluorenol) is now classified as a non-specified stimulant.
Guanfacine has been clarified to be a permitted substance.
Additional Examples
Please note that the following are not new substances added to the Prohibited List, but are additional examples of substances already prohibited.
| S0. Non-Approved Substances | S-107, S48168 (ARM210) |
| S4. Hormone and Metabolic Modulators | Elacestrant, Mitochondrial open reading frame of the 12S rRNA-c (MOTS-c), S519, S597 |
| S5. Diuretics and Masking Agents | Xipamide |
| S6. Stimulants | Midodrine, Tesofensine |
Therapeutic use exemption programme
Players 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). The TUE Programme is a rigorous and necessary part of elite sport which has gained overwhelming acceptance by athletes, physicians and anti-doping stakeholders.
The criteria for granting a TUE are outlined in the WADA International Standard for Therapeutic Use Exemptions (ISTUE) and, for further information, players and team doctors can refer to this UEFA Guide on the Prohibited List and TUEs.