Thu, January 29, 2026
Revised 2026 International Standard for Testing and Investigations published by WADA, focusing on a reduction to blood collection wait time
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has published its revised 2026 International Standard for Testing and Investigations (ISTI), with updates focusing on a reduction to the blood collection wait time for athletes. This was approved on 2 December 2025 and will come into effect on 1 April 2026.
The wait time for athletes providing a blood sample for the Haematological Module of the Haematological Athlete Biological Passport (ABP) after any physical activity, like training or competition, has been reduced from 2 hours to 60 minutes.
Simply put, after training or competition, athletes used to have to rest 2 hours before a blood sample collection, this has now been reduced to 60 minutes. Physical activity changes factors such as haemoglobin concentration and plasma volume, but WADA has ruled that these values are stable enough after 60 minutes, so collection after this time will still ensure scientific validity of ABP results. These results track patterns of an athlete’s blood values over time, highlighting possible doping if unusual changes are detected.
Part of the 60-minute wait includes the athlete sitting in an upright stationary position with their feet on the floor for at least 10 minutes.
Additionally, this reduced wait time will also be applicable to all blood samples collected in a serum tube that will be analysed for substances such as growth hormone, erythropoietin receptor agonists (ERAs), which stimulate red blood cell production, boosting oxygen delivery to muscles, and other modules of the ABP. A new form, titled ‘Blood Collection Supplementary Report Form’ has been created to accommodate such changes. Athletes must answer questions on this form when submitting blood and ensure it is signed.
Updates have also been made to these compulsory questions athletes must answer when providing a blood sample for the Haematological Module of the ABP. One of these new questions asks whether the athlete is competing in the next three days including the day of the sample collection.
This 60-minute update does not count if the athlete did not train or compete before the blood collection and/or to whole blood samples collected in EDTA tubes that are not analysed for the Haematological Module of the ABP.
This update was introduced to the 2026 ISTI as opposed to the 2027 International Standard for Testing because it is more efficient for athletes and Sample Collection Authorities, so WADA wanted to implement it as soon as possible.
WADA’s statement, along with a summary of the modifications to the 2026 ISTI can be found here.
