„Brain doping” substances: prohibited or not in sports?

Andrzej Pokrywka; Olga Surała; Konstancja Grabowska; Marta Przybyła; Dominika Granda; Andrzej Małecki; Raphael Faiss; Marta Nowacka-Chmielewska

doi:10.5114/biolsport.2025.150047

eISSN: 2083-1862
ISSN: 0860-021X

Biology of Sport

Current Issue Manuscripts accepted About the journal Editorial board Abstracting and indexing Archive Ethical standards and procedures Contact Instructions for authors Journal's Reviewers Special Information

Editorial System

Submit your Manuscript

Editorial Policies

Sarajevo Declaration on Integrity and Visibility of Scholarly Publications

Open access

Send email

Copy url:

abstract:

Original paper

„Brain doping” substances: prohibited or not in sports?

Andrzej Pokrywka

^{1, 2}

,

Olga Surała

^{2, 3}

,

Konstancja Grabowska

⁴

,

Marta Przybyła

⁴

,

Dominika Granda

³

,

Andrzej Małecki

⁴

,

Raphael Faiss

^{2, 5}

,

Marta Nowacka-Chmielewska

^{2, 4}

Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacogenomics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
Scientific Team, Polish Anti-Doping Agency, Warsaw, Poland
Department of Nutrition Physiology, Institute of Sport - National Research Institute, Warsaw, Poland
Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Institute of Physiotherapy and Health Sciences, Academy of Physical Education, Katowice, Poland
Center of Research and Expertise in Anti-Doping Sciences, Institute of Sport Sciences, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland

Biol Sport. 2025;42(4):189–202

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5114/biolsport.2025.150047

Online publish date: 2025/05/14

View full text Get citation

PlumX metrics:

There is increasing interest in the area of brain doping among athletes. The term ‘brain doping’ refers to enhancing mental performance through the non-medical use of specific pharmacological substances, such as drugs and medicines. Despite hundreds of studies, it is challenging to specify well-defined and described substances that could contribute to improving cognitive abilities in sports. Therefore, we systematically reviewed existing scientific literature to identify ‘brain doping’ substances with proven beneficial effects on sports performance. Only 9 research studies, consisting of 7 interventional and 2 case studies, have investigated the current knowledge on substances that have or may affect the brain at the cognitive level in the context of sports. Simultaneously, we reviewed the Polish dietary supplement market to identify active ingredients promoting cognitive functions and examine their properties related to anti-doping rules. Results from the market analysis revealed 34 substances/extracts of plant/mushroom origin and 120 synthetic substances with potential procognitive properties. Among the synthetic substances, 45 were labelled as ‘unclear’, including 19 presumed to ‘meet WADA criteria’. In conclusion, the term ‘brain doping’ currently serves more as a marketing tool than as a concept describing a group of substances with scientifically proven cognitive effects. Substances marketed to consumers as ‘brain doping’ include substances prohibited in sports, as mentioned on the WADA Prohibited List, and those permitted for use by athletes or of unclear status. The open-ended nature of the list of prohibited substances poseschallengesin definitively determining the status of many substancesfound in dietary supplements or medications, which may lead to unintentional violations of anti-doping rules.

keywords:

„Brain doping” substances: prohibited or not in sports?

Andrzej Pokrywka 1, 2 , Olga Surała 2, 3 , Konstancja Grabowska 4 , Marta Przybyła 4 , Dominika Granda 3 , Andrzej Małecki 4 , Raphael Faiss 2, 5 , Marta Nowacka-Chmielewska 2, 4

Brain doping, Nootropic, WADA Prohibited List, Dietary supplements

Andrzej Pokrywka

^{1, 2}

,

Olga Surała

^{2, 3}

,

Konstancja Grabowska

⁴

,

Marta Przybyła

⁴

,

Dominika Granda

³

,

Andrzej Małecki

⁴

,

Raphael Faiss

^{2, 5}

,

Marta Nowacka-Chmielewska

^{2, 4}