Anti-doping: using supplements safely – know the risks, ask the right questions

Reviewed by Dr. Daniel Wallerstorfer, molecular biologist and founder of Novogenia · Updated: 15 October 2026 · Reading time: 9 min

In short

In a Dutch study, 25 of 66 high-risk sports products contained undeclared doping substances. For athletes, what counts is what is found in the sample – under anti-doping rules, a violation does not require intent. Germany, Austria and Switzerland also regulate doping in criminal law, each in its own way. At Novogenia, every raw material is screened for doping substances, among other tests. That is an important building block, but it replaces neither personal responsibility nor checking with one’s own federation – there is no “doping-free” guarantee.

38 percent: a risk no label shows

Researchers bought 66 sports products from 21 brands in 17 Dutch online shops – deliberately choosing products that claim to influence hormones, promote muscle gain or fat loss, or boost energy. A specialized lab tested them for doping substances. 25 of the 66 products, or 38%, contained undeclared doping substances: stimulants, anabolic steroids, the beta-2 agonist higenamine and even a beta blocker. For some products, the authors judged that even the recommended dose posed a significant risk of an unintentional doping violation (Duiven et al., Journal of Sports Science & Medicine, 2021).

The problem is not new. In an international study of 634 products from 13 countries, 14.8% already contained anabolic androgenic steroids that were not declared anywhere (Geyer et al., International Journal of Sports Medicine, 2004). According to the data in a review, 40–70% of athletes use supplements, and 10–15% of products may contain prohibited substances (Outram & Stewart, International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, 2015).

A contaminated product is a cuckoo’s egg: it sits in your own nest, looks like all the others – and what hatches is something nobody ordered. For your gym, your team or your clients, this means: the question “What is in it?” does not end with the label.

Strict liability: what is in the sample counts

Sport applies a strict principle. Under the World Anti-Doping Code, athletes are personally responsible for ensuring that no prohibited substance enters their body. A violation does not require proof of intent or fault – the finding in the sample is enough. Fault only comes into play when determining how severe the sanction is. This is known as strict liability.

Austria has written this principle into law. Under the Federal Anti-Doping Act 2021 (ADBG 2021), an anti-doping rule violation exists, among other things, when prohibited substances are present in an athlete’s body tissue or body fluids (Section 1(2)(1)). Doping prevention for the target groups with the highest priority must explicitly cover the “principle of liability regardless of fault” and the “risks of using food supplements” (Section 3(4) ADBG 2021).

The International Olympic Committee also calls the inadvertent ingestion of prohibited substances through supplements a known risk and strongly advises seeking expert professional advice before taking them (Maughan et al., British Journal of Sports Medicine, 2018).

Germany, Austria, Switzerland: sports law and criminal law

Alongside the anti-doping rules of sport, all three countries regulate doping in state law – with important differences:

Country	What the law regulates	What it means in practice
Germany (AntiDopG)	Manufacturing, trafficking, placing on the market and prescribing doping substances, and administering them to others for doping purposes, are prohibited (Section 2). Self-doping is prohibited when someone intends to gain an advantage in organized competition (Section 3); only elite athletes in a testing pool and athletes with substantial income from sport can be prosecuted for it (Section 4(7)).	Criminal self-doping requires intent. Anyone who unknowingly takes a contaminated product still risks a ban under the rules of sport.
Austria (ADBG 2021)	The finding in the sample establishes the violation (Section 1(2)(1)). Anyone who places prohibited substances on the market or administers them to others for doping purposes in connection with any sporting activity commits a criminal offense (Section 28(1)).	By its wording, the criminal provision covers any sporting activity – including recreational training in a gym.
Switzerland (SpoFöG)	Anyone who takes part in sports competitions may be subject to doping controls; the data also serve to sanction athletes (Art. 21). Manufacturing, distributing, supplying and other acts for doping purposes are punishable; personal consumption is not (Art. 22).	Not punishable does not mean free of consequences: sanctions under sports rules remain possible.

One thing all three share: anyone who supplies doping substances to minors or administers them to minors faces a harsher penalty (Section 4(4)(2)(a) AntiDopG, Section 28(4)(1) ADBG 2021, Art. 22(2) and (3)(c) SpoFöG).

The prohibited list is a living document

Which substances are prohibited is not set out in the statutes themselves but in international lists. The AntiDopG refers to Annex I of the International Convention against Doping in Sport as published from time to time (Section 2), the ADBG 2021 to the reference list of the Anti-Doping Convention as amended (Section 1). In Switzerland, the Federal Council determines the substances and methods, taking international developments into account (Art. 19(3) SpoFöG).

For practice, this means: the list changes. An ingredient that was allowed yesterday may be on the list today. Some substances are prohibited only in competition, others at all times (cf. Section 3(1) AntiDopG). So always check the current version – and remember: what is not declared will not show up on any list.

What Novogenia tests – and what it does not

At Novogenia, every raw material undergoes microbiological testing, doping-substance screening, nutrient-content testing and infrared identity verification. Production runs under ISO 22000:2018 (Quality assurance). The range consists of personalized micronutrients; Novogenia does not make protein powder, creatine, carbohydrate or electrolyte drinks. How the formula is calculated for athletes is shown in Micronutrients for athletes: personalized and safe.

An honest assessment: raw-material screening is an important building block. But it does not replace the athlete’s personal responsibility or checking with their own federation or national anti-doping agency. That is why Novogenia does not give a “doping-free” guarantee – and you should never promise one either. How raw-material and batch testing work in food production in general is explained in Quality assurance: ISO 22000, raw-material and batch testing.

Seven questions for every manufacturer

Whether you recommend a product, sell it or have it made under your own brand – these questions bring clarity:

Raw materials: Are raw materials tested for doping substances? For which ones, and with which method?
Finished product: Is the finished product or every batch tested as well? By whom, to which standard?
Evidence: Are there batch-specific test reports, and can you get them on request?
Quality management: Under which certified system is production run, for example ISO 22000?
Production: Are products containing stimulants or hormone-like substances made on the same line?
Suppliers: How are suppliers selected, and how is a change of supplier documented?
Composition: Is every ingredient declared, including excipients and carriers?

What this means for gyms, trainers and clubs

No safety promises: Terms like “doping-free” or “safe for drug testing” promise something nobody can guarantee. Food information must not be misleading, particularly as to the characteristics and composition of the food – and this also applies to advertising (Art. 7(1)(a) and (4) Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011).
Clear roles: You inform about risks and refer to the federation. The athlete makes the decision about a product.
Never deal in doping substances: Supplying them and administering them to others for doping purposes is a criminal offense in all three countries.
Train your team: Anyone who advises in the gym knows about strict liability and when to refer to the federation or a physician. How clubs can organize offers for their athletes fairly is shown in Clubs and teams: genetic data in team sport.

How athletes protect themselves

Check the diet first: The IOC recommends a complete nutritional assessment before any decision about supplements.
Only what is needed: Every additional product is an additional risk.
Clear it first: discuss every product with their own federation or national anti-doping agency.
Test in training: Never use a new product for the first time in competition, as the IOC also advises.
Document: keep the packaging, batch number and receipt.
Medications: have them checked by a physician; in elite sport, a therapeutic use exemption may be needed (in Austria, Section 12 ADBG 2021).

Checklist: supplements in sport without the doping trap

Drug-tested athletes understand the principle of strict liability.
Every product has been cleared with the federation beforehand.
The seven questions for the manufacturer have been answered.
No advertising with “doping-free” or similar promises.
The current prohibited list has been checked.
Products, batches and receipts are documented.
Medical questions and medications are referred to a physician.

Frequently asked questions

Are Novogenia’s personalized supplements doping-free?

Novogenia does not give that guarantee. Every raw material is screened for doping substances, among other tests – an important building block. Under anti-doping rules, however, athletes are responsible for anything found in their sample. Anyone subject to testing should clear every product with their own federation beforehand.

What does strict liability mean?

Under the World Anti-Doping Code, athletes are personally responsible for ensuring that no prohibited substance enters their body. A violation does not require proof of intent or fault; fault only matters when the sanction is determined. Austria’s ADBG 2021 calls this the principle of liability regardless of fault.

Is unintentional doping a criminal offense?

Self-doping is only a criminal offense with intent: in Germany, Section 3 AntiDopG prohibits self-doping with the intention of gaining an advantage in competition, and under Section 4(7) only elite athletes and athletes with substantial income from sport can be prosecuted. In Switzerland, personal consumption is not punishable. Sanctions under anti-doping rules, however, can follow even an unintentional finding.

Which products are considered particularly risky?

The study by Duiven et al. deliberately tested products claiming to influence hormones, promote muscle gain or fat loss, or boost energy. 38% of them contained undeclared doping substances. The more a product promises, the closer you should look.

What should an athlete do before taking a supplement?

First, have their diet assessed: the IOC recommends a complete nutritional assessment before any decision. Then take only what is truly needed, clear the product with the federation, test it in training and keep the packaging, batch number and receipt.

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Note: This guide is general information for businesses and professionals and does not replace medical or legal advice. The genetic traits determined in a genetic analysis are well documented (each gene included is backed by at least three independent studies); recommendations derived from them are logical conclusions, not scientifically proven. Regulations can change; errors and changes excepted.