Weight-loss drugs in sport: Ozempic, Mounjaro not on Wada banned list for athletes – BBC Sport
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Weight-loss drugs avoid Wada banned list for 2027
Athletes will not be banned from taking weight-loss drugs under the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (Wada) rules for 2027, but the substances will remain on its monitoring list.
Background
Wada confirmed the decision following a meeting of its executive committee as it continues to examine the potential of GLP-1 receptor agonists—drugs like Ozempic and Mounjaro—to enhance performance and the risk of abuse in sport.
The rules take effect in January and are reviewed annually.
Key Points
- Medications such as Ozempic and Mounjaro have become increasingly common outside elite sport.
- The 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams revealed last year that she had been using weight-loss medication.
- These drugs were first placed on Wada’s monitoring list in 2024 (Semaglutide/Ozempic) and this year (Tirzepatide/Mounjaro).
- For a substance to be banned, it needs to meet two of three criteria: enhancing sport performance, posing a health risk, or violating the spirit of sport.
Why not banned?
Professor Olivier Rabin, Wada’s senior director for science and medicine, cautioned athletes against using these drugs without medical advice and supervision:
"It’s such a drastic change in your physiology that it can come with serious side effects and risks, in particular for athletes."
Wada is conducting studies to examine the effects of these drugs on highly trained individuals, as well as their potential performance-enhancing benefits versus health risks. The agency notes that it may take time to collect all necessary data.
At risk:
Weight-loss drugs seem most likely to appeal to athletes in weight-category sports like boxing, wrestling, and horse racing (jockeys), where strict weight limits are required.
