Yes — in sport, BPC-157 is banned. It has been named on the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Prohibited List since the 2022 list, under class S0 (non-approved substances), and it is prohibited at all times, in and out of competition. That applies to every athlete covered by the Canadian Anti-Doping Program, from national team members to U SPORTS university players.
Athletes have already been sanctioned for it, including in Canada: a MacEwan University volleyball player received a four-year ban in 2025 for using BPC-157 and TB-500. Notably, several BPC-157 cases were built on admissions or information, not a positive test.
Outside sport, it’s a different story. Standard workplace drug tests screen for drugs like cannabis, cocaine, opioids, amphetamines and PCP. BPC-157 isn’t on those panels. It is also on the US Department of Defense prohibited list for service members.
BPC-157’s WADA status: S0, since 2022
BPC-157 (“body protection compound-157”) is a synthetic peptide studied mostly in animal models. If you’re new to it, start with our plain-English BPC-157 explainer. Here, we focus on one question: what happens if an athlete uses it?
The answer has been clear since the 2022 Prohibited List. When WADA published that list in late 2021, the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) announced that “BPC-157, an experimental peptide sold as a supplement, is included in the 2022 List following a re-evaluation of its status.” CCES also noted it was “the first time a substance has been included by name as an example in section S0 (Non-approved Substances) of the List.” UK Anti-Doping told athletes the same thing and warned them to watch for supplements marketing BPC-157.
The 2026 Prohibited List, in effect since January 1, 2026, still names it. The S0 text reads, in part, that the class “covers many different substances including but not limited to BPC-157,” alongside 2,4-dinitrophenol (DNP) and several experimental drugs.
And for next season: WADA published the 2027 Prohibited List on October 6, 2026, effective January 1, 2027. Its summary of major changes adds “further examples or clarifications” to S0 but doesn’t announce any removal of BPC-157. Check the final 2027 list or your national anti-doping organization for exact wording once it applies.
In Canada, the CCES was renamed Sport Integrity Canada in November 2025. Same anti-doping program, new name. Older decisions (including those cited below) were issued under the CCES name.
What “S0 non-approved substance” actually means
S0 is WADA’s catch-all. In the 2026 list it covers “any pharmacological substance which is not addressed by any of the subsequent sections of the List and with no current approval by any governmental regulatory health authority for human therapeutic use,” such as drugs in pre-clinical or clinical development, discontinued drugs, designer drugs and veterinary-only substances. Such substances are “prohibited at all times.”
Three practical consequences:
- No off-season. “Prohibited at all times” means out-of-competition use counts, not just race day.
- The route doesn’t matter. Capsules, nasal sprays, creams or any other form — the substance is what’s prohibited. (For why oral and other forms are even discussed, see BPC-157 oral vs injectable.)
- You don’t need to be named to be covered. S0 bans unnamed experimental compounds too. BPC-157 being named simply removes any doubt.
How serious is a BPC-157 violation? USADA describes BPC-157 as a “specified” non-approved substance. In the US speed skating case below, USADA said the default sanction for a specified substance was two years before reductions. Cases involving other substances, or more than one, can be longer — as the Canadian cases show.
Real sanction cases: Canada and the US
These are all taken directly from the anti-doping agencies’ own public announcements.
Canada: U SPORTS volleyball player, four years (2025)
On April 7, 2025, the CCES announced that a U SPORTS volleyball athlete at MacEwan University received a four-year sanction for using two prohibited substances between August and September 2024: BPC-157 (a non-approved substance) and TB-500 (a growth factor). The violation was determined “through information submitted to the CCES” — the release doesn’t describe a positive sample. The athlete didn’t dispute it within the required timelines, so the violation and sanction were confirmed by deemed waiver. Her ineligibility runs until December 3, 2028.
Why this matters to Canadian readers: U SPORTS athletes are covered by the Canadian Anti-Doping Program. University-level athletes are not “too small” to be sanctioned.
Canada: powerlifter, five years (2025)
On February 24, 2025, the CCES announced a five-year sanction for a Canadian Powerlifting Union member. His in-competition urine sample from December 14, 2024, contained several anabolic agents and the metabolic modulator GW501516. The CCES release adds: “The athlete also admitted to the use of BPC-157, a prohibited non-approved substance.” The CCES sought six years for aggravating circumstances; an early admission reduced it by one year, and the sanction ends January 20, 2030.
United States: 19-year-old speed skater, one year (2024)
On August 22, 2024, USADA announced that an independent arbitrator imposed a one-year sanction on a US speed skater, 19, for use of BPC-157. According to USADA, she never tested positive; she declared use of a supplement containing BPC-157 that had been recommended by a medical provider, and admitted it during USADA’s investigation. The default two years was cut by one year because she admitted the violation without other evidence, but the arbitrator found she had not shown she was not significantly at fault. Her ineligibility began April 10, 2024.
| Case | Agency | Substances | How it was established | Sanction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| U SPORTS volleyball player | CCES, Apr 2025 | BPC-157, TB-500 | Information submitted to CCES; not disputed | 4 years (to Dec 3, 2028) |
| Canadian powerlifter | CCES, Feb 2025 | Anabolic agents, GW501516; admitted BPC-157 use | Positive sample plus admission | 5 years (to Jan 20, 2030) |
| US speed skater | USADA, Aug 2024 | BPC-157 (in a supplement) | Declared and admitted; never tested positive | 1 year |
The pattern is worth noticing: two of three cases involved no BPC-157-positive test at all. Anti-doping rules treat use as a violation, and use can be proven through admissions, documents, purchase records or information from other people.
The “my doctor recommended it” defence didn’t save the US athlete either. Medical advice doesn’t override the Prohibited List; athletes with a genuine medical need for a prohibited substance go through the Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) process — ask your national anti-doping organization about that.
Can anti-doping labs detect BPC-157?
Yes — anti-doping scientists have been publishing methods for it for years.
- Early anti-doping work (2017). Researchers at a US anti-doping laboratory (Cox, Miller and Eichner, in Drug Testing and Analysis) studied BPC-157 from confiscated products, including how it breaks down in plasma, as summarized by later authors.
- A newer, more sensitive urine method (2023). A 2023 study in Molecules by Tian and colleagues used isotope-labeled BPC-157 to map its metabolites in human liver microsome and human skin S9 models. They identified one metabolite from a novel pathway and eight from the conventional amide-bond-breaking pathway, then built a urine method for BPC-157 and five main metabolites, with detection limits of 0.01 to 0.11 ng/mL. The authors note their limit of detection was lower than the earlier 2017 method (0.01 vs 0.1 ng/mL).
- Why metabolites matter. In rats and dogs, intact BPC-157 has an elimination half-life under 30 minutes and is broken down into small peptide fragments and then amino acids, excreted mainly through urine and bile (He et al., 2022). That’s why modern methods look for breakdown products, not just the parent peptide.
We have deliberately not quoted a “detection window” (how many hours or days after use it can be found). We couldn’t verify one from a primary, peer-reviewed human study, and numbers floating around online usually trace back to secondary sources. More importantly, the detection window doesn’t change the rules: as the cases above show, an athlete can be sanctioned for use without any positive test.
Other peptides on the WADA list (table)
BPC-157 isn’t the only peptide athletes need to worry about. Most of the “recovery” and growth-hormone-related peptides discussed online are explicitly prohibited under S2 (peptide hormones, growth factors, related substances and mimetics), which is also prohibited at all times. Here’s where common names sit on the 2026 Prohibited List:
| Peptide / substance | WADA class (2026) | How the list describes it |
|---|---|---|
| BPC-157 | S0 | Non-approved substances (named example) |
| TB-500 | S2.3 | “Thymosin-β4 and its derivatives e.g. TB-500” |
| IGF-1 and analogues (e.g., IGF-1 LR3) | S2.3 | “Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1, mecasermin) and its analogues” |
| MGF / PEG-MGF | S2.3 | “Mechano growth factors (MGFs)” |
| CJC-1295, sermorelin, tesamorelin | S2.2.4 | GHRH and its analogues |
| Ipamorelin, ibutamoren (MK-677), anamorelin | S2.2.4 | Growth hormone secretagogues |
| GHRP-2, GHRP-6, hexarelin | S2.2.4 | GH-releasing peptides (GHRPs) |
| AOD-9604, hGH 176-191 | S2.2.3 | Growth hormone fragments |
| hCG, LH, kisspeptin | S2.2.1 | Testosterone-stimulating peptides in males |
| MOTS-c | S4.4.1 | Metabolic modulators — AMPK activators |
| Insulins | S4.4.2 | Insulins and insulin-mimetics |
| Semaglutide, tirzepatide (GLP-1 drugs) | Not prohibited | WADA says their status “will remain unchanged for 2027 pending further data” |
| GHK-Cu, Semax, Selank, Epitalon, DSIP, KPV, melanotan | Not named | Not listed by name; S0 can still apply to substances with no human approval anywhere — ask your anti-doping agency |
A few notes on reading this table:
- The list uses “including but not limited to” language. A peptide not named is not automatically permitted.
- Kisspeptin, hCG and LH are listed under “testosterone-stimulating peptides in males.” Check the exact wording for your situation with your national anti-doping organization.
- For the differences between GH-related peptides, see CJC-1295 vs tesamorelin vs ipamorelin, IGF-1 vs IGF-1 LR3 and peptides vs steroids vs HGH. For MOTS-c, see what is MOTS-c.
In Canada, check a specific substance with Sport Integrity Canada before using anything — including supplements. The US speed skating case below began with a supplement.
Does BPC-157 show up on a workplace drug test?
No — standard employment drug tests aren’t looking for it. Workplace panels are built to detect a short list of drugs of abuse.
For example, the US federal workplace testing program’s authorized urine panel (effective July 7, 2025) covers:
- Marijuana metabolite (THC-COOH)
- Cocaine metabolite (benzoylecgonine)
- Codeine/morphine, hydrocodone/hydromorphone, oxycodone/oxymorphone and 6-acetylmorphine (heroin)
- PCP (phencyclidine)
- Amphetamine/methamphetamine and MDMA/MDA
- Fentanyl (with norfentanyl as a confirmation analyte)
In Canada, there is no single national workplace panel, but commercial providers offer similar ones. SureHire, an Edmonton-based testing company, describes its popular 8-panel workplace test as covering amphetamine, cocaine, methamphetamine, PCP, cannabis, MDMA, opioids (heroin) and oxycodone, with fentanyl available on request.
| Type of test | Who runs it | Looks for BPC-157? |
|---|---|---|
| Workplace 5- to 10-panel urine test | Employers, testing companies | No — drugs of abuse only |
| Anti-doping test (urine/blood) | WADA-accredited labs for Sport Integrity Canada, USADA, etc. | Can — it’s a prohibited substance, and methods exist |
| Military testing / supplement screening | Armed forces | Policy prohibits it (US DoD); test menus vary |
One caution: “not on the panel” isn’t a statement about safety or legality. In Canada, Health Canada’s April 2026 advisory names BPC-157 among unauthorized injectable peptide drugs. And if a product is mislabelled or contaminated — a concern Health Canada raises in that same advisory — you can’t know what else is in it. That’s a question for your doctor or pharmacist, not a drug test.
Military, NCAA and school sport
US military
The Department of Defense’s Operation Supplement Safety (OPSS) says BPC-157 is “on the DoD Prohibited Dietary Supplement Ingredients List in accordance with DoDI 6130.06,” and describes it as an unapproved drug prohibited for service members. OPSS also warns service members to avoid products labelled “research use only” or “not for human consumption.” We didn’t find a published Canadian Armed Forces policy that names BPC-157, so if you serve in Canada, ask your chain of command or base medical staff.
NCAA (US college sport)
According to the testing and certification group BSCG, the NCAA doesn’t name BPC-157 specifically, but it falls under the NCAA’s peptide-hormone ban. The NCAA’s list works by class and bans “any substance chemically/pharmacologically related” to those classes.
High school sport
Some US high school associations are explicit. The New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association’s 2026–27 banned substances list names “BPC-157” under peptide hormones and growth factors.
Canadian university sport
U SPORTS athletes fall under the Canadian Anti-Doping Program — which is exactly how the MacEwan volleyball case above came about.
Did the 2026 FDA vote change anything for athletes?
No. On July 23, 2026, an FDA advisory committee voted 8–6 to recommend adding BPC-157 to the US list of substances pharmacies may compound from, and also recommended TB-500 by the same margin. That’s a nonbinding, US-only pharmacy matter — and even if finalized, it wouldn’t make BPC-157 an approved drug. WADA’s S0 class covers substances “with no current approval by any governmental regulatory health authority for human therapeutic use,” and compounding eligibility isn’t drug approval. We break down the vote in The FDA peptide vote explained.
6 myths about BPC-157 and drug testing
“Myth: BPC-157 comes from stomach juice, so it’s natural and allowed.”
The BPC-157 sold today is a synthetic peptide. Either way, “natural” isn’t an exemption on the Prohibited List. BPC-157 is named under S0, and WADA classes such as S2 include substances the body itself makes, like growth hormone and IGF-1.
“Myth: If it clears quickly, you can’t get caught.”
Two of the three sanctions above involved no BPC-157-positive test. Anti-doping rules punish use, which can be proven by admission or evidence. Labs also have published urine methods that target metabolites.
“Myth: Only elite athletes get tested or sanctioned.”
A U SPORTS volleyball player got four years. A 19-year-old speed skater got one year. Anyone in a sport covered by an anti-doping program is subject to the rules.
“Myth: A doctor’s recommendation protects you.”
The US speed skater used a supplement recommended by a medical provider and was still sanctioned. The legitimate route for medical need is a Therapeutic Use Exemption, decided by your anti-doping organization.
“Myth: Oral or nasal BPC-157 doesn’t count.”
The substance is prohibited, regardless of form. The “at all times” rule applies whatever the route.
“Myth: BPC-157 will make me fail my job’s drug test.”
Standard workplace panels don’t test for it. They target drugs like cannabis, cocaine, opioids, amphetamines and PCP. That says nothing about whether BPC-157 is safe or authorized — only that it’s not on those panels.
For researchers
TrueLabs supplies BPC-157 from $22 (CAD) and TB-500 from $55 for in vitro and laboratory research only. These are not drugs or supplements, are not for human or veterinary use, and are not for athletes — both are prohibited under the WADA Code. Lot-specific identity and purity data are available; see How to read a peptide COA and the COA library. For background on the evidence base, see BPC-157 side effects.
FAQ
Tap a question to reveal the answer.
Is BPC-157 banned by WADA?
Yes. BPC-157 is named under class S0 (non-approved substances) on WADA’s Prohibited List, and has been since the 2022 list. S0 substances are prohibited at all times, in and out of competition.
When was BPC-157 added to the Prohibited List?
It was named in the 2022 Prohibited List, published in late 2021 and in force from January 1, 2022. The CCES noted it was the first time a substance had been named as an example in S0. The 2026 list still names it.
Has anyone in Canada been banned for BPC-157?
Yes. In April 2025, the CCES announced a four-year sanction for a U SPORTS volleyball player for using BPC-157 and TB-500. In February 2025, a Canadian powerlifter received five years after a positive test for other substances, and the CCES noted he also admitted using BPC-157.
Can BPC-157 be detected in a drug test?
Anti-doping science has published methods for it, including a 2023 urine method targeting BPC-157 and five metabolites with detection limits of 0.01–0.11 ng/mL. Standard workplace drug panels don’t look for it. And in sport, sanctions can follow from admissions or evidence even without a positive test.
Does BPC-157 show up on an employment drug test?
No. Workplace panels test for drugs of abuse such as cannabis, cocaine, opioids, amphetamines, MDMA and PCP. BPC-157 is not among them.
Is TB-500 banned in sport too?
Yes. The 2026 Prohibited List names “thymosin-β4 and its derivatives e.g. TB-500” under S2.3, growth factors, prohibited at all times. The Canadian volleyball sanction involved both BPC-157 and TB-500.
Are ipamorelin and CJC-1295 banned?
Yes. Ipamorelin is named as a growth hormone secretagogue and CJC-1295 as a GHRH analogue under S2.2.4 of the 2026 list. GHRP-2, GHRP-6 and ibutamoren (MK-677) are named too.
Is BPC-157 banned for US military members?
Yes. The DoD’s Operation Supplement Safety says BPC-157 is on the DoD Prohibited Dietary Supplement Ingredients List under DoDI 6130.06. Canadian Forces members should check with their own chain of command.
Did the FDA panel vote make BPC-157 allowed in sport?
No. The July 2026 vote was a nonbinding US recommendation about pharmacy compounding, not drug approval. WADA’s rules are separate and BPC-157 remains under S0.
What should an athlete do if they already used a product with BPC-157?
Talk to your national anti-doping organization (Sport Integrity Canada in Canada) or a lawyer experienced in sport disputes before doing anything else. For any health concerns, speak to your doctor or pharmacist.
Related reading
- The FDA Peptide Vote Explained (2026)
- What Is BPC-157?
- BPC-157 Side Effects
- Peptides vs Steroids vs HGH
- CJC-1295 vs Tesamorelin vs Ipamorelin
- BPC-157 Oral vs Injectable
References
- World Anti-Doping Agency. The 2026 Prohibited List (International Standard). In effect January 1, 2026. PDF
- Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport. WADA Publishes 2022 Prohibited List. October 27, 2021. CCES
- UK Anti-Doping. Major Changes to the 2022 Prohibited List: What you need to know. UKAD
- World Rugby. WADA publishes 2027 Prohibited List. October 6, 2026. World Rugby
- Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport. U SPORTS Volleyball Athlete Suspended for the Use of BPC-157 and TB-500. April 7, 2025. Sport Integrity Canada
- Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport. Powerlifting Athlete Suspended for the Presence of Multiple Prohibited Substances. February 24, 2025. Sport Integrity Canada
- USADA. Independent Arbitrator Imposes One-Year Sanction on Speedskating Athlete Kamryn Lute for Anti-Doping Rule Violation. August 22, 2024. USADA
- Tian T, Jing J, Li Y, Wang Y, Deng X, Shan Y. Stable Isotope Labeling-Based Nontargeted Strategy for Characterization of the In Vitro Metabolic Profile of a Novel Doping BPC-157 in Doping Control by UHPLC-HRMS. Molecules. 2023;28(21):7345. Molecules (open access)
- He L, Feng D, Guo H, et al. Pharmacokinetics, distribution, metabolism, and excretion of body-protective compound 157, a potential drug for treating various wounds, in rats and dogs. Front Pharmacol. 2022;13:1026182. PubMed
- Operation Supplement Safety (U.S. Department of Defense). BPC-157: Prohibited peptide and unapproved drug found in health and wellness products. April 29, 2025. OPSS
- BSCG. Rules and Risks of BPC-157 for Athletes and Military Service Members. February 19, 2026. BSCG
- NJSIAA. 2026–2027 Banned Substances. Approved May 13, 2026. PDF
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Mandatory Guidelines for Federal Workplace Drug Testing Programs—Authorized Testing Panels. Federal Register. January 16, 2025 (FR Doc. 2025-00425). GovInfo
- SureHire. 8 Panel Drug Testing: The Most Popular Workplace Drug Test. SureHire
- Health Canada. Think twice before injecting peptides bought online: unauthorized products can seriously harm you (RA-81874). April 9, 2026. Recalls and Safety Alerts
This article summarizes published research and regulatory information for information only and is not medical advice. TrueLabs research compounds are sold for in vitro and laboratory research use only and are not intended for human or veterinary use.