Semaglutide, a diabetes and weight loss medication most commonly sold under the brand names Ozempic and Wegovy, is under review by the World Anti-Doping Organization (WADA).
WADA, which governs anti-doping policies for international sports organizations, added the popular drug to its Monitoring Program in 2024. The organization will continue to monitor Ozempic throughout 2025 to determine if it should be a banned substance.
Semaglutide was created a decade ago as a Type II Diabetes drug. It works to regulate blood sugar and increase insulin production in diabetes patients. It also significantly reduces the risk of cardiovascular health events such as a stroke or a heart attack.
In the last couple of years, the drug has grown rapidly in popularity among non-diabetes patients as a weight loss drug. There have been reported market shortages of Ozempic due to the growth in popularity.
WADA will be judging semaglutide against their three-pronged banning test. Banned substances must meet at least two of the following three criteria:
- Has the potential to enhance or enhances sport performance.
- Represents an actual or potential health risk to the athlete.
- Violates the spirit of sport.
Dr. Olivier Rabin, WADA’s senior director of medicine and science, said that Ozempic could ‘possibly’ give advantages in swimming due to the improved weight-to-power ratio in swimming.
“It goes beyond a simple drug for obesity,” Rabin said.
Looking at precedent, in 2024, WADA added several substances marketed as a weight loss drug on to their prohibited list, including 2,4-Dinitrophenol and Rev-Erb-ɑ agonists. No diabetes medications were added.
China should be WADA’s main focus
I recently ate at a restaurant where the kitchen was contaminated with Ozempic. Ended up losing about 10 pounds so that was nice.
Back in my days we just went to tacobell, same result
There is some data suggesting that it acts as an anti-inflammatory and can improve blood flow in the heart and airflow in the lungs. It’s worth watching as the data continues to come in over the next few years.
Definitely with anti-inflammatory properties on Macrophages where GLP-1 receptors deliver polarization signals toward M2 reparative (alternatively activated) programs.
And in English?
There is a good chance it’s performance enhancing.
The drug causes some sarcopenia (muscle wasting) so maybe not the greatest idea.
I don’t think athletes should be able to use Ozempic or Wegovy without a TUE
why?
If only they cared about actual performance enhancing drugs