All information below is available on the IJF Clean Judo website under Prohibited List, in English and French; more languages will be available shortly.
The 2026 Prohibited List also contains
- The 2026 Summary of Major Modifications and Explanatory Notes as compared to the 2025 List; and
- The 2026 Monitoring Programme, which includes substances that are not on the list but are being monitored by WADA in order to detect potential patterns of misuse in sport.
The list is one of the eight international standards that are mandatory for all signatories of the World Anti-Doping Code. It designates which substances and methods are prohibited both in- and out-of-competition and which substances are banned in particular sports.
For a substance or method to be added to the list, it must be determined that it meets at least two of the following three criteria:
- It has the potential to enhance or enhances sport performance
- It represents an actual or potential health risk to athletes
- It violates the spirit of sport
The list’s mobile-friendly digital edition will go live on 1st January 2026. More language options will be available shortly.
Major Modifications for 2026
As outlined in the 2026 Summary of Major Modifications and Explanatory Notes, the major modifications for 2026 include the following:
- Further examples or clarifications have been added to the following substance classes to help athletes and their entourage identify prohibited substances better:
- S1. Anabolic agents,
- S2. Peptide hormones, growth factors, related substances and mimetics,
- S4. Hormone and metabolic modulators, and
- S6. Stimulants.
- The dosing intervals of salmeterol have been changed to avoid potential ergogenic effects, though the maximum daily delivered dose remains the same.
- More details have been given about the prohibition of withdrawal of blood and blood components.
- The non-diagnostic use of carbon monoxide has been added to ‘Prohibited Methods’ as a new section, M1.4. The use of carbon monoxide for diagnostic purposes, such as total hemoglobin mass measurements or the determination of pulmonary diffusion capacity, is not prohibited.
- Cell components (e.g., nuclei and organelles such as mitochondria and ribosomes) have been added to the existing prohibition of using normal or genetically modified cells.
- It has been clarified in the Glucocorticoids Washout Table that the use of sustained-release formulations may result in detectable glucocorticoid levels past the washout period, due to prolonged systemic absorption.
The Therapeutic Use Exemption Programme
It should be noted that athletes 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) to determine whether they meet the criteria outlined in the International Standard for Therapeutic Use Exemptions (ISTUE). The TUE programme is a rigorous and necessary part of elite sport and has overwhelming acceptance from athletes, physicians and anti-doping stakeholders.
Educational Resources
In addition to the documents linked above, WADA has provided, or will provide, educational resources as part of its Code Implementation Support Programme (CISP), which can be accessed on the Agency’s Anti-Doping Education and Learning Platform (ADEL). These resources include:
- A CISP Checklist – Implementing Revised List (available now)
- Athlete and ASP Guide to the 2026 List (to be available mid-December)