A new study from Sport Integrity Australia has revealed a worrying truth about the supplements lining shelves across the country: one in three contain substances banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
Even more concerning, most of these banned ingredients aren’t listed on the label.
The research, conducted by Human and Supplements Testing Australia (HASTA) and commissioned by Sport Integrity Australia (SIA), analyzed 200 supplements purchased online from Australian retailers.
These weren’t obscure black-market products either—they were the kind of protein powders, pre-workouts, and fat burners that athletes and gym-goers order every day.
The results were eye-opening.
What the Study Found
Out of 200 products tested, 70 were found to contain one or more WADA-prohibited substances. That’s 35 percent—roughly one in every three supplements.
And in 57 percent of those tainted products, the banned substances didn’t appear anywhere on the packaging or product website.
Products marketed for performance—particularly fat burners, muscle builders, and pre-workouts—were far more likely to be contaminated. More than half of the muscle-building supplements analyzed tested positive for banned substances. Nearly half of the fat burners did too.
“This study shows that more than one in three non-batch tested supplements purchased online in Australia contain prohibited substances,” said Dr. Naomi Speers, Director of Research at SIA. “And most of those substances were not even listed on the label.”
The consequences for athletes are serious. Under WADA’s strict liability rules, athletes are responsible for any substance found in their body—even if it came from a supplement they thought was safe.
What’s Actually in These Supplements?
Interestingly, most of the banned substances found—around 83 percent—were naturally occurring compounds, not synthetic drugs. But that doesn’t make them any safer.
Take octopamine, a stimulant commonly found in Citrus aurantium (bitter orange extract). It’s marketed as a “natural fat burner,” but it’s also on the WADA Prohibited List. The same goes for phenethylamine, another naturally derived stimulant.
In two extreme cases, the researchers found synthetic stimulants at high concentrations.
One popular branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) product contained β-methylphenethylamine, an isomer of amphetamine, along with dextroamphetamine—a Schedule 8 prescription drug—and phenpromethamine, a methamphetamine-related stimulant.
None of these ingredients were declared on the label.
Another product, sold as a fat burner, contained high levels of phenpromethamine along with other undeclared stimulants, including mephentermine, a cardiac stimulant banned from public sale in Australia, where the testing was done and the supplements were purchased.
Both products are readily available online to Australian consumers, despite containing multiple ingredients that are illegal under national regulations.
Why “Natural” Doesn’t Mean Safe
It’s easy to assume that a product made from plants—or labeled as “natural”—isn’t dangerous. But that’s a risky assumption in the supplement world.
Naturally derived compounds like octopamine can show up in high concentrations in supplements, especially those sold for weight loss or performance.
WADA has clarified that normal food consumption won’t produce high enough levels to trigger a positive test—but supplements are not normal food. They’re concentrated, engineered, and often poorly regulated.
Even when banned ingredients aren’t added intentionally, cross-contamination during manufacturing can result in trace amounts showing up. For athletes subject to doping controls, even small doses can be a career-ending problem.
Australia’s Efforts to Help Athletes Stay Clean
Sport Integrity Australia isn’t ignoring the problem. In fact, the agency has ramped up its efforts to protect athletes by offering practical tools—chief among them, the Sport Integrity app.
The app allows athletes to check whether a supplement has been batch-tested by trusted third-party labs like HASTA or Informed Sport. As of early 2025, the database includes more than 12,000 certified products, and users conduct nearly 7,000 supplement checks each month.
That education is paying off.
The number of doping cases linked to supplements has dropped significantly—from 17 in 2016 to zero in both 2022 and 2023. There was only one such case in 2024.
Still, as this new study shows, the danger is far from over.
“Athletes and sports have done a great job in taking the threat of supplements seriously,” said Gavin Whitehouse, SIA’s Acting Director of Education. “But this survey shows we need to continue to be vigilant.”
What You Can Do to Protect Yourself
If you’re an athlete—or even a recreational runner trying to shave seconds off your PR—the implications of this study are clear: supplements carry risk, especially when they aren’t certified.
Here’s how to stay safe:
- Stick with batch-tested products. Look for verification from HASTA or Informed Sport.
- Be wary of performance products like fat burners and muscle builders, which have the highest rates of contamination.
- Don’t trust labels blindly. More than half of the contaminated products in this study didn’t list the banned ingredients anywhere.
- Use the Sport Integrity app to research products before you take them.
- Talk to a qualified sports dietitian or doctor before starting any new supplement.
While this study focused on Australian products, the problem isn’t confined to one country. International studies have found similar contamination rates, and the U.S. and European markets present their own risks.
In 2023, for instance, Consumer Reports found that some weight-loss supplements sold on Amazon contained illegal stimulants like DMHA and sibutramine—compounds banned in many countries for safety reasons.
The takeaway? If you’re taking supplements that aren’t certified, you’re gambling with your health and possibly your eligibility to compete.
As Dr. Speers put it, “Using supplements always carries risk.”
