World sport rules reach beyond match day
The World Anti-Doping Agency, called WADA, sets the banned list used in world sport. Its 2026 list took effect on January 1, 2026.
BPC-157 is named as banned in the group for substances not approved as medicines. Growth hormone is a substance that sends a growth signal in the body. WADA bans it, peptides that make the body release more of it, and TB-500.
Those bans apply beyond the event itself. Training days are included.
Not named is not a clearance
WADA’s rule for non-approved substances can catch an ingredient even if the list does not name it. The test includes whether any government health authority has approved it for human treatment.
As of September 2026, semaglutide and tirzepatide were monitored by WADA but were not on its prohibited list. Monitoring tracks use; it does not amount to approval of an athlete’s care.
College and military rules need their own check
The NCAA, which governs U.S. college sport, has a separate list for 2026–27. It names BPC-157 and TB-500 among its banned examples.
The U.S. military also restricts listed ingredients in dietary supplements. That rule concerns supplements, not lawfully prescribed medical care, and has its own exceptions.
Ask before the plan starts
USADA, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, can grant permission to use a banned medicine needed for an illness. This permission is called a therapeutic use exemption. USADA requires advance permission for athletes in its Education Pool, its Registered Testing Pool and its Clean Athlete Program. USADA directs other athletes to a form to check whether they need permission.
Ask USADA which group you are in and what permission you need before starting the medicine.
WADA’s replacement list starts on January 1, 2027. Its new wording still warns that unnamed peptides may be prohibited.