Should a jab designed for diabetics be treated the same as EPO?
That question is now sitting on WADA’s desk, and cycling is at the centre of the debate.
Semaglutide and tirzepatide — sold as Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro — have been part of the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) Monitoring Program since the beginning of 2026. The designation falls short of an outright ban but signals that anti-doping officials are watching the drugs closely. To be added to the Prohibited List, a substance must meet at least two of three criteria: the potential to enhance performance, a risk to athlete health, and a violation of the spirit of sport.
WADA Science Director Olivier Rabin has been blunt about the trajectory. Rabin has noted that substances placed under monitoring have historically gone on to be prohibited, citing tramadol as a recent example. Tramadol was added to WADA’s Monitoring Program in 2012 before being banned in competition by the UCI in 2019. He has also highlighted an emerging concern: combination therapies pairing GLP-1 receptor agonists with myostatin inhibitors to reduce muscle loss during rapid weight reduction.
The potential advantage athletes seek from GLP-1 medications is rapid weight loss and appetite suppression. In weight-sensitive sports such as cycling, Nordic skiing and endurance running, reducing body mass can improve power-to-weight ratios, resulting in faster climbing, quicker acceleration, and the ability to maintain higher speeds with less effort.
The science, however, remains divided. While weight loss could improve performance, sports medicine experts warn that the drugs often reduce lean muscle mass and suppress appetite, making it harder for endurance athletes to consume enough energy for training and recovery. Those effects may ultimately reduce, rather than improve, performance.
The debate has also reached anti-doping policymakers. According to recent reports, WADA Health, Medical and Research Committee Chairman Lars Engebretsen has argued the drugs deserve closer scrutiny because of concerns over athlete health and their potential to worsen eating disorders. Other WADA advisers, however, remain unconvinced that GLP-1 medications provide a meaningful competitive advantage.
Anti-doping organisations are also urging caution. The United States Anti-Doping Agency advises athletes that GLP-1 drugs are currently permitted and do not require a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE), but warns that counterfeit and unapproved products sold online present significant health risks.
For amateur cyclists chasing results, GLP-1 medications may appear to offer another avenue to improve performance through weight reduction. Whether that benefit outweighs the potential drawbacks remains uncertain, but the debate is unlikely to disappear anytime soon as WADA and anti-doping authorities continue to assess whether the drugs belong alongside traditional performance-enhancing substances on the Prohibited List.
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