Substances and Methods Prohibited In-Competition Only

This section focuses on substances that are prohibited in-competition only. These substances are not tested for out-of-competition.

It is very important to be aware of the definition of “in-competition.” Each International Federation (IF) may have a different definition and it may vary by event. For some events, this period may be defined as 12 hours before the start of the competition and different rules may apply to multi-day events (for example, the Olympic Games). It is an athlete’s responsibility to learn the definition of in-competition for the sporting events in which he/she is competing.

Athletes must ensure that all substances prohibited in-competition have been completely cleared from their body before competition. This means the substances are not detected in the sample. It is not possible for USADA to list specific stop times for substances prohibited in-competition. If the on-going or daily use of a substance is needed, or the medication cannot be stopped before an event long enough to allow it to clear from your body, apply for a therapeutic use exemption (TUE).

S6. Stimulants All stimulants and their optical isomers are prohibited, except for imidazole derivatives for topical/ophthalmic use and stimulants on the 2015 Monitoring Program (i.e., buproprion, caffeine, nicotine, phenylephrine, phenylpropanolamine, pipradrol, and synephrine).

Advisory:

Athletes diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) who are taking stimulants should obtain a TUE for their medication. Athletes who are not competing do not need to obtain a TUE in order to use these medications. Athletes diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease and taking selegiline, or with narcolepsy and taking medications that contain modafinil or armodafinil should obtain a TUE. Nicotine and caffeine are permitted, but they are part of the WADA monitoring program. Pseudoephedrine is an ingredient in many cold and flu medications. WADA advises athletes to discontinue taking pseudoephedrine at a dose of less than 240mg per day AT LEAST 24 hours prior to the time defined as “in-competition.” Be advised, in some cases this may not be enough time for the medication to clear the body, such as a slow-metabolizer or because of drug interactions. USADA recommends avoiding pseudoephedrine-containing cold and flu products for several days in advance of competition, and using a non-prohibited alternative instead. Levmetamfetamine is prohibited in-competition and is found in some cold and flu products. Read the label of your cold and flu, or allergy product, carefully and check the active ingredients on GlobalDRO.com.

http://www.usada.org/substances/prohibited-list/athlete-guide/