Visit statistics

May our host count your visit? It then sets a cookie and notes the pages you read, your device and your country. We see only totals. The site works the same either way. What is recorded

Peptides Explained

Peptides, sport and doping rules

In short

About 7 minutes for the short version; 11 with every detail open.

  • If you compete in organised sport, doping rules can apply to you, also at a low level.
  • Many unapproved peptides are banned in sport at all times, even if the list does not name them.
  • If a banned substance is found in your body, it counts, even if you did not know.
  • A vial with the wrong contents is rarely an excuse. The rules put the risk on the athlete.
  • Semaglutide and tirzepatide are not banned. WADA keeps an eye on them.
Last reviewed
The start of a red running track, with white lines and the lane numbers 1, 2 and 3 painted on it.
Lanes on an athletics track. Photo: Santeri Viinamäki (Wikimedia Commons) CC BY-SA 4.0 Image details

Each section starts with the short answer. The rest is folded under “In detail”.

What do sport rules say about peptides?

Many peptides are banned at all times. If one is found in your sample, you are responsible.
In sport, the rules are stricter than medicines law. Intent does not decide whether a test counts. World Anti-Doping Code (2021, and 2027 from 1 January 2027) and the 2027 Prohibited List, checked on 22 October 2026.
Under the anti-doping rules
Are many peptides banned at all times, in and out of competition?Yes Sections S0, S2 and S4 cover them, also outside competitions.1
Can a peptide be banned without being named on the list?Yes WADA says a peptide may still be banned even if the list does not name it.2
Does a positive test count if you did not know?Yes Intent or fault does not have to be shown. This is called strict liability.3,4
Does a wrongly labelled product clear you?No The Code says a mislabelled or contaminated supplement does not count as “no fault”. A lower ban is rare.4
Are semaglutide and tirzepatide banned?No They are in WADA’s monitoring programme, not on the list.5

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) writes the World Anti-Doping Code and the yearly Prohibited List. Sports federations and national anti-doping organisations apply them. This page explains how those rules treat peptides. Criminal law on doping is a separate matter and differs by country: see the Netherlands, Germany and the UK.

Who the rules cover

Do these rules apply to me?

If you belong to a sports federation, you can be tested. Dutch gyms have hardly any tests.
Who is tested for doping in the Netherlands and Belgium.
WhoHow likely a test is
Top athletes in the NetherlandsTested the most6
Any member of a Dutch sports federationCan in principle be tested. Some random tests happen at lower levels too6
People who train in a Dutch gymHardly any tests, if any7
People who compete in BelgiumFar more tests at lower levels, even surprise tests in gyms6

Refusing a test usually brings a two-year ban, and possibly four years. A ban from Belgium also applies in the Netherlands.6 In Germany, the criminal law on self-doping covers only elite athletes in a testing pool and people who earn a lot from sport.8

In detail Recreational athletes under the 2027 Code

From 1 January 2027, the 2027 World Anti-Doping Code applies.4 Each national anti-doping organisation decides who counts as a recreational athlete. Some people never count, if it happened in the same sport in the last five years. That covers anyone who competed at international or national level, took part professionally, or was in a testing pool.4

A recreational athlete who shows “no significant fault” can get anything from a reprimand to a two-year ban. That is for violations that do not involve a “substance of abuse”.4 The violation itself still counts.

Strict liability: a test result counts on its own

What if I did not know a substance was in my body?

It still counts. You are responsible for what is found in your sample.
How a positive test leads to a ban.
  1. A banned substance is found in your sample. That alone is an anti-doping rule violation.4
  2. Nobody has to prove intent. It is “not necessary that intent, Fault, Negligence or knowing Use” be shown.4
  3. The ban depends on the substance and on your fault. The Code sets a standard length, which can go up or down.4
  4. Lower bans are hard to get. You usually have to show how the substance got into your body.4

UK Anti-Doping puts it plainly: you are “solely responsible for any banned substance” in your system, “regardless of how it got there”.9

The standard ban for a substance in section S2 is four years

4 years

the usual ban for an S2 substance; less if you show how it got in and no intent

What was counted World Anti-Doping Code 2027, article 10.2.1; the 2021 Code, in force until 31 December 2026, also sets four years Sources World Anti-Doping Code 2027 (version 1.0); World Anti-Doping Code 20214,3

In detail How long a ban can be

The Code divides banned substances into specified and non-specified ones. Specified substances are those more likely to be taken for reasons other than sport. WADA stresses that they are not less dangerous. All substances in S0 are specified. All substances in S2, and those in S4.3 and S4.4, are non-specified.1

Kind of substanceStandard ban under the 2027 Code
Non-specified (for example S2, or MOTS-c in S4.4)Four years. Two years if you show how it entered your body and that it was not on purpose. Three years if you show how it entered your body and that the use had nothing to do with sport, but not that it was not on purpose4
Specified (for example BPC-157 in S0)Two years. Four years if the anti-doping organisation shows it was on purpose; three if the use had nothing to do with sport4

Until 31 December 2026 the 2021 Code applies. It also sets four years for a non-specified substance unless you show the violation was not intentional.3 In the Netherlands, a first violation can bring anything from a warning to a four-year ban, depending on the substance and the degree of fault.10

What the Prohibited List says about peptides

Which peptides are banned?

Many are. Some are named, and a catch-all rule covers peptides that no health authority has approved.
The 2027 list names eight peptides on this site. Others can still be banned. WADA Prohibited List 2027 and 2027 Monitoring Program, in effect from 1 January 2027. The 2026 list names the same peptides.
Named on the 2027 list?Banned in sport?
BPC-157Yes In S0, non-approved substances1Yes At all times1
TB-500Yes In S2.3, as a derivative of thymosin beta-41Yes At all times1
CJC-1295, tesamorelin, ipamorelin, hexarelinYes In S2.2.4, growth hormone releasing factors1Yes At all times1
AOD-9604Yes In S2.2.3, as a growth hormone fragment1Yes At all times1
MOTS-cYes In S4.4, metabolic modulators1Yes At all times1
RetatrutideNo Not by name1Yes S0 covers drugs still in clinical trials1,11
Other peptides that no health authority has approvedNo Not by nameYes Under S0, unless another section already covers them1,2
Semax, SelankNo Not by name1Unknown They are registered as medicines in Russia, so S0 may not apply. Ask your anti-doping organisation12,13
PT-141, SS-31, thymosin alpha-1No Not by name1Unknown Each is approved as a medicine in at least one country, so S0 does not cover it. WADA says other sections still can. Ask your anti-doping organisation14,15,16,17,2
Semaglutide, tirzepatideNo Not on the list1No Only monitored5

Section S0 bans any drug that no government health authority has approved for human use, if no other section covers it. Its examples include drugs still in development and, from 2027, “peptides”.1 WADA added the word for clarity. It says many unapproved peptides fall under S0 or other sections, and a peptide not named “may still be prohibited”.2

In detail How S0 and S2 are worded

S0, non-approved substances. S0 covers “any pharmacological substance” that no later section covers and that has no current approval by any government health authority for human use. It names BPC-157 as an example. It has done so since 2022.1,18 The 2026 list had the same rule but did not yet mention peptides as an example.19

S2, peptide hormones, growth factors and related substances. S2 bans the substances it names “and other substances with similar chemical structure or similar biological effect(s)”. It names growth hormone fragments such as AOD-9604, and growth hormone releasing hormone and its analogues, such as CJC-1295 and tesamorelin. It also names growth hormone secretagogues such as ipamorelin, and releasing peptides such as examorelin (hexarelin). Under growth factors it names thymosin beta-4 and its derivatives, such as TB-500.1

S4.4, metabolic modulators. S4.4 names MOTS-c among the activators of an energy-sensing enzyme called AMPK.1

In detail What changed for 2027

WADA published the 2027 list on 21 September 2026. It takes effect on 1 January 2027.11 For peptides, the change is in the wording of S0, which now names peptides as an example.2 UK Anti-Doping explains that peptides under clinical development are banned if they meet the Code’s criteria. It adds that not every banned experimental peptide is listed by name.11

The Dutch Doping Authority says the changes are mostly clarifications and a few new examples. Its full Dutch translation of the 2027 list will be online from 1 January 2027.20

Semaglutide and tirzepatide stay in the 2027 Monitoring Program, in and out of competition. Substances in that programme are not banned.5

Medical exemptions (TUEs)

Can a doctor's note make a banned peptide allowed?

Only a medical exemption can. For an unapproved peptide, its tests are very hard to meet.
The four tests for a medical exemption, and how they fit an unapproved peptide.
The test (2027 standard)For a peptide that no authority has approved (our reading)
You have a diagnosed condition, backed by clinical evidencePossible, if you have such a condition
The substance is an indicated treatment for it, and there is no reasonable allowed alternativeHard to show: there is no approved use, and no treatment guideline to point to
It will not boost performance beyond a return to your normal healthNot known: the effects in people have hardly been studied
The need is not caused by earlier banned use without an exemptionDepends on your history

Source 21

A Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) lets an athlete use a banned substance for a medical reason. All four tests must be met.21 The same four tests apply under the 2023 standard, which is in force until the end of 2026.22 A TUE decision does not consider whether the use is “legal in all jurisdictions”.21

Wrong contents and strict liability

What if the vial held something else than its label says?

It is still your positive test. A wrongly labelled product is rarely an excuse.

Fewer than one in five seized doping products held what the label said

less than 20%

products that held the substance on the label, in the stated amount

What was counted 1,190 doping products seized by Swiss customs and tested in a laboratory; most were labelled as anabolic agents, 146 as peptide hormones or growth factors (analysis study, published 2017) Source Weber et al. (2017)23

Lab tests of seized products often find the wrong substance or the wrong amount.23,24 Under the Code, a positive test from a mislabelled or contaminated supplement does not count as “no fault”. A lower ban for a contaminated source has “rarely been applied” unless the athlete took great care.4

In detail Why a label rarely helps you

The Code’s rule for a contaminated source covers a banned substance that the product label does not mention.4 A vial labelled with the name of a banned peptide discloses that substance. In our reading, the rule cannot help you then. If the vial held a different banned substance, the athlete still has to show both where it came from and “no significant fault”.4

The Dutch Doping Authority gives one practical step. If you think a contaminated supplement caused a positive test, report it to them at once and keep the product.10

During a ban, you may not compete, train or take part in activities of your federation. You may not coach either. Other federations adopt the ban.10

If your product did not come from a pharmacy, no regulator has checked what is in it. See product risk for what you can and cannot check yourself.

Where to ask

Who can tell me if a substance is banned?

The doping body in your country can tell you. In the Netherlands, that is the Dopingautoriteit.

In the Netherlands, the Dopingautoriteit answers questions about the rules, and its Dopingwaaier app will carry the Dutch 2027 list.20 In the UK, UK Anti-Doping asks athletes who are unsure about a non-approved peptide to contact it.11 A doctor can help you check your medicines and plan an exemption where one is possible: see talking to your doctor.

Sources

Every claim on this page links to one of these sources. Scholarly sources link to their DOI; regulatory sources to the regulator's own page.

In detail All 24 sources, numbered as in the text
  1. World Anti-Doping Agency (2026). World Anti-Doping Code International Standard: Prohibited List 2027 (in effect 1 January 2027). Regulator wada-ama.org — accessed 20 October 2026 ↩
  2. World Anti-Doping Agency (2026). Summary of Major Modifications and Explanatory Notes, 2027 Prohibited List. Regulator wada-ama.org — accessed 22 October 2026 ↩
  3. World Anti-Doping Agency (2021). World Anti-Doping Code 2021. Regulator wada-ama.org — accessed 22 October 2026 ↩
  4. World Anti-Doping Agency (2026). World Anti-Doping Code 2027 (version 1.0). Regulator wada-ama.org — accessed 22 October 2026 ↩
  5. World Anti-Doping Agency (2026). The 2027 Monitoring Program. Regulator wada-ama.org — accessed 20 October 2026 ↩
  6. Dopingautoriteit (2026). Controles in België. Web page dopingautoriteit.nl — accessed 22 October 2026 ↩
  7. Dopingautoriteit (2026). Eigen Kracht (programme for the fitness sector). Web page dopingautoriteit.nl — accessed 22 October 2026 ↩
  8. Bundesministerium der Justiz (2023). Anti-Doping-Gesetz (AntiDopG), § 4 Strafvorschriften. gesetze-im-internet.de. Law gesetze-im-internet.de — accessed 22 October 2026 ↩
  9. UK Anti-Doping (2026). Athletes – Rights and Responsibilities. Web page ukad.org.uk — accessed 22 October 2026 ↩
  10. Dopingautoriteit (2026). Positieve dopingtest. Web page dopingautoriteit.nl — accessed 22 October 2026 ↩
  11. UK Anti-Doping (2026). 2027 Prohibited List: Summary of Changes. Web page ukad.org.uk — accessed 22 October 2026 ↩
  12. U.S. Food and Drug Administration (2026). FDA Briefing Document for Semax-Related Bulk Drug Substances (Semax (free base) and Semax acetate), Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee meeting, 23–24 July 2026. Regulator fda.gov — accessed 22 October 2026 ↩
  13. Deigin VI, Poluektova EA, Beniashvili AG, Kozin SA, Poluektov YM (2022). Development of Peptide Biopharmaceuticals in Russia. Pharmaceutics 14:716. Review doi:10.3390/pharmaceutics14040716 ↩
  14. U.S. Food and Drug Administration (2026). Drugs@FDA: NDA 210557 (Vyleesi, bremelanotide acetate injection). Regulator accessdata.fda.gov — accessed 22 October 2026 ↩
  15. U.S. Food and Drug Administration (2026). Drugs@FDA: NDA 215244, Forzinity (elamipretide hydrochloride) injection. Regulator accessdata.fda.gov — accessed 23 October 2026 ↩
  16. European Medicines Agency (2003). EU/3/02/110 – orphan designation for treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (thymalfasin). Regulator ema.europa.eu — accessed 22 October 2026 ↩
  17. U.S. Food and Drug Administration (2024). FDA Briefing Document for Thymosin Alpha-1 Related Bulk Drug Substances (Thymosin alpha-1 (free base) and Thymosin alpha-1 acetate), Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee meeting, 4 December 2024. Regulator fda.gov — accessed 22 October 2026 ↩
  18. World Anti-Doping Agency (2021). Summary of Major Modifications and Explanatory Notes, 2022 Prohibited List. Regulator wada-ama.org — accessed 20 October 2026 ↩
  19. World Anti-Doping Agency (2025). World Anti-Doping Code International Standard: Prohibited List 2026. Regulator wada-ama.org — accessed 20 October 2026 ↩
  20. Dopingautoriteit (2026). WADA publiceert Dopinglijst 2027. Web page dopingautoriteit.nl — accessed 22 October 2026 ↩
  21. World Anti-Doping Agency (2025). International Standard for Therapeutic Use Exemptions (ISTUE) 2027. Regulator wada-ama.org — accessed 22 October 2026 ↩
  22. World Anti-Doping Agency (2022). International Standard for Therapeutic Use Exemptions (ISTUE) 2023. Regulator wada-ama.org — accessed 22 October 2026 ↩
  23. Weber C, Krug O, Kamber M, Thevis M (2017). Qualitative and Semiquantitative Analysis of Doping Products Seized at the Swiss Border. Substance Use & Misuse 52:742-753. Research article doi:10.1080/10826084.2016.1263665 ↩
  24. Krug O, Thomas A, Walpurgis K, Piper T, Sigmund G, Schänzer W, Laussmann T, Thevis M (2014). Identification of black market products and potential doping agents in Germany 2010-2013. European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology 70:1303-1311. Research article doi:10.1007/s00228-014-1743-5 ↩

Further reading