Sports

Famous Banned Substances in Sports Doping

Name: Famous Banned Substances in Sports Doping
Creator: Community curated
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

EPO, anabolic steroids, clenbuterol — which performance-enhancing drug has shaped the biggest doping scandals?

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Source:Community curated

Updated:3/7/2026

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Substance↕	Drug Class↕	Notable Case↕	Detection Method↕	Known For↕
EPO (Erythropoietin)	Peptide hormone	Lance Armstrong / US Postal cycling team	Blood passport, urine test (since 2000)	Boosted red blood cells for endurance, dominated 1990s cycling, Armstrong stripped of 7 Tour de France titles
Anabolic Steroids (Stanozolol)	Anabolic androgenic steroid	Ben Johnson — 1988 Seoul Olympics 100m	Urine mass spectrometry	Johnson's gold medal stripped on live TV, most infamous Olympic doping moment, 9.79s 100m record erased
Clenbuterol	Beta-2 agonist / stimulant	Alberto Contador — 2010 Tour de France	Urine test (very low thresholds)	Claimed contaminated meat defense, 2-year ban, stripped of 2010 Tour title, also found in Mexican beef supply
THG (The Clear)	Designer steroid	BALCO scandal — Marion Jones, Barry Bonds	Custom test developed by Don Catlin after tip-off	Undetectable designer steroid created by Patrick Arnold, BALCO lab in Bay Area, brought down multiple champions
Nandrolone (Deca-Durabolin)	Anabolic steroid	Linford Christie, Dieter Baumann	Urine GC-MS	One of the most commonly detected steroids in sport, sometimes claimed as supplement contamination
Human Growth Hormone (HGH)	Peptide hormone	Sylvester Stallone (customs), Peyton Manning allegations	Blood test only (difficult to detect)	Promotes muscle growth and recovery, extremely hard to detect, short detection window, Hollywood & NFL controversy
Meldonium (Mildronate)	Metabolic modulator	Maria Sharapova — failed test in 2016	Urine test (banned Jan 2016)	Heart drug popular in Eastern Europe, Sharapova's 15-month ban, hundreds of athletes caught when first banned
Modafinil	Stimulant / wakefulness agent	Kelli White — 2003 World Championships	Urine test	Narcolepsy drug used as cognitive and physical enhancer, White stripped of two world sprint titles
Testosterone (exogenous)	Anabolic steroid	Floyd Landis — 2006 Tour de France	T/E ratio test, carbon isotope ratio	Landis's miraculous Stage 17 comeback exposed as doping, stripped of Tour title, later exposed Armstrong
Furosemide	Diuretic / masking agent	Multiple weightlifters & boxers	Urine test	Used to rapidly lose weight for weigh-ins and mask other drugs by diluting urine, banned as masking agent
Blood Transfusions (autologous)	Blood doping method	US Postal cycling team, Eufemiano Fuentes	Blood passport anomalies (no direct test)	Re-infusing own stored blood to boost oxygen, Operacion Puerto exposed massive network, nearly undetectable
Amphetamines	Stimulant	Tom Simpson — died on Mont Ventoux 1967	Urine test	Simpson's death during Tour de France was watershed moment, led to first anti-doping regulations in cycling
Turinabol (Oral-Turinabol)	Anabolic steroid	East German state doping program (1970s-80s)	Long-term metabolite detection (McLaren method)	State Plan 14.25 — East Germany systematically doped thousands of athletes, many suffered lifelong health effects
Erythropoiesis-Stimulating Agent (CERA)	EPO variant (continuous)	Rashid Ramzi — 2008 Beijing Olympics 1500m	Blood/urine test	Third-generation EPO, longer-lasting, Ramzi stripped of Olympic gold, several cyclists caught in 2008 Tour
SARMs (Ostarine/Ligandrol)	Selective androgen receptor modulator	Multiple UFC fighters, Joakim Noah (NBA)	Urine mass spectrometry	New generation muscle-builders sold as supplements, many athletes claim tainted supplement defense, rapidly growing problem