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Caffeine may soon be equated with doping
Last reviewed: 02.07.2025
WADA, better known as the World Anti-Doping Agency, will soon consider adding caffeine to the list of banned drugs.
Medical experts claim that drugs whose active ingredient is caffeine have a dramatic effect on the health and endurance of athletes, and even surpass the effects of the well-known meldonium.
Anti-doping officials have expressed the opinion that caffeine-based drugs may be banned as early as next season. And today, this component has already been included in the list of substances selected for consideration by WADA, which means that it will be reviewed soon.
Many scientists consider this attitude to the drug to be quite reasonable, since everyone knows that caffeine has a stimulating effect on the body, while complicating the work of the cardiovascular system. Considering that the heart of athletes already undergoes great stress, consuming caffeine can negatively affect their health.
WADA employees deny the opinion that after the adoption of amendments to the list of doping drugs, athletes will not even be able to drink a cup of coffee or tea, or eat a chocolate bar - after all, all of the listed products are rich in caffeine. Most likely, a certain permissible content of caffeine in the blood will be announced, which will not be equated to taking a stimulant drug.
Doctor of Pharmacology N. Korobov agrees with the scientists' conclusions: "Let's be honest: everyone knows that caffeine can be used as a psychostimulant and general stimulant. Therefore, I don't see anything surprising in the fact that it will be among other prohibited drugs. The only difficulty that arises after adding caffeine to the notorious list is the fact that it is included in many drinks and products. Will athletes really have to limit themselves in this as well? It seems to me that scandals on this topic cannot be avoided. In order for everything to be correct, it is necessary to clearly establish the criteria: what amount of caffeine in the blood is allowed, and what will be considered doping."
The list of prohibited drugs and substances provided by the World Doping Agency is reviewed annually. If necessary, this list is adjusted and supplemented.
As for caffeine, it is indeed often used by athletes to activate the production of catecholamines and expand the bronchial lumen. Taking this substance allows you to feel more energetic and resilient during training periods, and also reduces the level of perception of overload by the body.
In addition, there are versions that, along with increasing endurance, caffeine also makes changes in physiological processes: it improves the quality of carbohydrate and lipid metabolism during physical activity. This explains the presence of large quantities of the substance in sports supplements and sports nutrition.
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