PRESS RELEASE

NEW ITA-LED SCIENTIFIC STUDY STRENGTHENS EVIDENCE-BASED ANTI-DOPING STRATEGIES ACROSS OLYMPIC SPORTS

A new peer-reviewed study led by experts from the International Testing Agency (ITA) introduces an innovative model linking the pharmacological effects of prohibited substances and methods to the physiological characteristics of Olympic sports. Building on previous ITA research that mapped the athletic demands of 160 disciplines, this new framework provides the anti-doping community with scientific insights to better understand sport-specific doping risks and to inform proportionate, evidence-based testing strategies. 

The research, titled “Mapping of the Pharmacological Effect of Prohibited Substances and Methods to Athletic Physiological Characteristics,” was authored by Gregory Hayward, Lorenzo Gaborini, Neil Robinson, and Mark Stuart of the ITA, alongside Professor David Mottram of Liverpool John Moores University. 

This study builds on earlier ITA-led research — “The Athletic Characteristics of Olympic Sports to Assist Anti-Doping Strategies” (Hayward et al., 2022) — which for the first time quantified the physiological demands of each Olympic sport. The new work integrates that foundation with pharmacological data to show how different classes of prohibited substances and methods may enhance or impair performance according to sport-specific physiological profiles. 

A practical tool for targeted anti-doping strategies 

8 independent Applied Sports Pharmacology experts mapped 31 pharmacological categories from the WADA Prohibited List against six key athletic performance domains — aerobic endurance, muscular endurance, psychomotor skill and accuracy, strength and power, reaction time, and finally movement agility — the study offers a detailed picture of how different substances and methods may influence performance across Olympic disciplines. This analysis helps identify which prohibited substances are most likely to provide a physiological advantage in specific sports, as well as those that may have little or no effect or even negatively impair performance potential. 

“It was a privilege to work with such a diverse team of healthcare professionals and researchers whose knowledge, expertise and experience enabled us to characterise the pharmacological properties of the substances and methods on the WADA Prohibited List in order to perceive their potential physiological advantages and disadvantages within sports”, said Prof. David Mottram. “In turn, the results of this study will enable these healthcare professionals and other athlete support personnel, around the world, to better target anti-doping strategies.” 

The resulting framework provides valuable insight for anti-doping organisations (ADOs) seeking to strengthen the scientific basis of their anti-doping strategies. It can inform the development of more effective risk assessments and test distribution plans by aligning testing priorities with each discipline’s physiological demands and the corresponding doping risks. It can also translate to cost efficiencies by ADOs orientating testing strategy and additional laboratory analysis towards attempts to uncover doping practices providing the greatest competitive advantage. 

For the ITA, these findings also directly enhance the design and implementation of independent anti-doping programs delivered on behalf of its International Federation and Major Event Organisation partners. Integrating this research into operational planning supports the optimisation of test distribution, substance targeting and analytical scope across a wide range of sports and events. 

Beyond its analytical outcomes, the publication exemplifies how the ITA’s independent expertise contributes to advancing clean sport through data-driven research. By bridging sport physiology and pharmacology, the study translates complex scientific information into practical guidance that has the capacity to enhance both the ITA’s own operations and the collective ability of the anti-doping community to protect fair play in sport. 

Together, the 2022 and 2025 studies establish a new evidence-based standard for physiological and pharmacological risk assessment in sport. The approach enables ADOs to: 

• identify sport-specific doping risks more accurately; 

• prioritise testing resources towards the substances most relevant to performance in each discipline; and 

• ensure proportionate and efficient anti-doping programs that protect athlete health and fair play. 

The ITA hopes that the insights from this research will support the broader anti-doping community in strengthening its collective understanding of doping risks across sports and in fostering increasingly evidence-based approaches to testing and prevention. 

The new study can be found following this link, whereas the 2022 study is available here. 

 

 

About the ITA

The International Testing Agency (ITA) is an international organisation constituted as a not-for-profit foundation, based in Lausanne, Switzerland. Its mission is to manage anti-doping programs, independent from sporting or political powers, for International Federations (IFs), Major Event Organisers (MEOs) and all other anti-doping organisations requesting support.