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Home » News » The World Anti-Doping Agency Releases 2025 Banned Substances Updates – How Does This Affect CrossFit?

The World Anti-Doping Agency Releases 2025 Banned Substances Updates – How Does This Affect CrossFit?

Athletes are on their own to figure out what these substances are.

Written by Emily Beers
Last updated on May 28th, 2025

On September 24, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) published an updated list of prohibited substances and methods, which will become effective on January 1, 2025.

Remind me: WADA was formed in 1999 as an international independent agency to lead a collaborative initiative to combat doping in sports. On its website, WADA states that its primary goal is to “develop, harmonize and coordinate anti-doping rules and policies across all sports and countries.”

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A post shared by World Anti-Doping Agency (@wada_ama)

[Related: Best Treadmills]

CrossFit and WADA

As a sport, CrossFit follows WADA guidelines and carries out its drug testing in partnership with Drug Free Sport International. 

  • Drug Free Sport International is an organization that “administers comprehensive drug testing programs; manages national and international collections; develops drug testing policies; and provides educational services to a wide range of colleges, universities and amateur athletics organizations around the world.” 

CrossFit athletes can be tested randomly during the off-season and at in-person competitions. They are also required to provide CrossFit with up-to-date contact and whereabouts information every quarter of the year. 

Testing is witnessed by a doping control officer, and the samples are then sent to WADA-approved laboratories. Afterward, Drug Free Sport reports the test results to CrossFit, which then alerts an athlete in the case of a failed test. 

The Big Picture

Ultimately, it’s the athlete’s responsibility to stay up-to-date with what substances are legal and which ones are banned following WADA guidelines. 

A summary of WADA’s “major modifications” and explanatory notes can be found here, and the full list of WADA’s banned substances can be downloaded here.

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Featured image: @wada_ama / Instagram

About Emily Beers

Emily Beers is a freelance health, fitness and nutrition writer. She has also been coaching fitness at MadLab School of Fitness in Vancouver, B.C. since 2009. A former college basketball player and rower, Emily became heavily involved in CrossFit after finishing her Masters degree in journalism at the University of Western Ontario. She competed at the 2014 CrossFit Games and also worked with CrossFit Inc.’s media team for 8 years. You can also find her work at Precision Nutrition, the Whole Life Challenge, OPEX, and a host of other fitness and nutrition companies and media outlets.

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