Australia to Increase Athlete Drug Testing Due to Illicit Peptide Use

By Fiona Willan

7.30

Topic: Doping in Sports

Thursday, 21 May 2026, at 4:47 pm

Sport Integrity Australia is looking into whether athletes are buying unregulated peptides.

In short:

The use of illicit peptides is rising, partly due to social media promotion.

Sport Integrity Australia is expanding drug testing to target unregulated peptides.

Health officials say unregulated substances have led to hospitalizations.

Australia's anti-doping agency plans to expand drug testing in response to the popularity of unregulated peptides.

Amid a rise in black and grey market peptides, Sport Integrity Australia is working with law enforcement to identify doping threats.

The organization is investigating if professional athletes are buying unregulated products online.

The agency will update its screening to include more prohibited chemicals and change its testing approach.

Sarah Benson says Sport Integrity Australia is working to identify peptides that could pose a doping threat.

Drug testing in sport follows World Anti-Doping Agency standards, which adds peptides to its prohibited list and develops detection methods.

Signatories to the WADA code decide which banned substances to test for.

Dr. Benson said around 5,000 tests are collected each year from over 4,000 athletes, with 65% screened when not competing.

Testing everyone for everything at all times is not efficient, so the agency must be intelligent and risk-informed in its approach.

While Sport Integrity Australia currently tests for some peptides, it will widen its program to screen more athletes for a wider range of peptides.

Rise of influencer marketing

ANU Professor Lara Malins says scientists are concerned about unregulated peptides due to unknown long-term effects.

Dr. Benson is concerned athletes could unknowingly take banned substances due to online marketing as wellness treatments.

Many compounds promoted by social media influencers are banned by regulators, including in the US.

The Therapeutic Goods Administration has seen a significant increase in unapproved peptide products marketed for anti-aging and bodybuilding.

A TGA spokesperson said the increase is driven by social media promotion and influencer marketing.

The TGA has issued warnings about the risks of taking unassessed therapeutics.

Professor Malins says peptides can be powerful therapies but need rigorous testing to ensure safety and effectiveness.

The TGA has received reports of severe allergic reactions and side effects from unapproved products.

Health authorities are concerned about unapproved products from overseas, including low-cost sellers in China.

Professor Malins said there's no way to know the contents of unregulated products purchased online.

Buying unregulated peptides online can be risky.

Casey Wesche bought unregulated peptides online for weight loss.

She was pleased with the results and ordered more peptides, including one for skin repair and hair growth.

Ms. Wesche was not concerned by safety warnings about untested products.

She said she had health issues from a COVID injection and was willing to try unregulated peptides.

Ms. Wesche orders from an Australian-based seller affiliated with a website offering commissions for sales.

She promotes the supplier on social media and receives free products.

Professor Malins said all medicines, including peptides, need up to 15 years of clinical trials before approval.

Where a peptide is new, its long-term impacts are not understood, making it premature to use.

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Thursday, 21 May 2026, at 4:47 pm

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