Weight loss injection information

UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) advises that athletes using any medication, including weight loss injections, must verify its status against the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Prohibited List. 


Currently, the active ingredients in common prescribed weight loss injections like semaglutide (Wegovy, Ozempic) and tirzepatide (Mounjaro, Zepbound) are not on the prohibited list, but they are on WADA's monitoring program.

What Mounjaro Contains

Mounjaro is an injectable prescription medication. According to multiple sources, it includes one active ingredient and several inactive excipients that help stabilize the injection.

Active Ingredient

  • Tirzepatide — a dual GIP/GLP‑1 receptor agonist that drives the medication’s therapeutic effect.

Inactive Ingredients

These do not provide therapeutic effect but ensure stability, proper pH, and safe delivery:

  • Sodium chloride — helps maintain tonicity of the solution
  • Sodium phosphate — acts as a buffering agent to control pH
  • Water for injection — sterile solution base
  • pH adjusters — used to fine‑tune acidity/alkalinity for safety and comfort

What Wegovy Contains

Wegovy is a once‑weekly injectable medication for weight management. It has one active ingredient and a few inactive ingredients that help stabilize the solution.

Active Ingredient

  • Semaglutide — a GLP‑1 receptor agonist made using recombinant DNA technology.

Inactive Ingredients

  • Disodium phosphate dihydrate — acts as a buffer to maintain pH.
  • Sodium chloride — essentially salt, used to balance tonicity.
  • Water for injection — the solvent for the medication.
  • No preservatives — because Wegovy comes in single‑use pens.

What Ozempic Contains

Here’s a clear breakdown of Ozempic’s ingredients, based on official product information.

Active Ingredient

  • Semaglutide — the GLP‑1 receptor agonist that produces Ozempic’s therapeutic effect.

Inactive Ingredients (Excipients)

These help stabilize the medication and allow it to be delivered through the injection pen:

  • Disodium phosphate dihydrate — buffering agent.
  • Propylene glycol — stabilizer.
  • Phenol — preservative.
  • Water for injections — solvent.
  • Hydrochloric acid or sodium hydroxide — used to adjust pH.

What Saxender Contains

Here’s a clear breakdown of the ingredients in Saxenda (liraglutide), based on the official product information.

Active Ingredient

  • Liraglutide – a GLP‑1 (glucagon‑like peptide‑1) analogue used for weight management.

Excipients (Inactive Ingredients)

These help stabilize the solution and make it suitable for injection:

  • Disodium phosphate dihydrate
  • Propylene glycol
  • Phenol (preservative)
  • Hydrochloric acid or sodium hydroxide (for pH adjustment)
  • Water for injections

What Retatrutide Contains (An untested weight loss injection being bought on the black market)

The ingredients of retatrutide include:

  • A synthetic 39-amino-acid peptide.
  • Specific amino acids such as 2-aminoisobutyric (Aib) and leucine modified with an amethyl substituent (MeL).
  • A C20 fatty diacid side chain.

These components contribute to its function as a triple agonist, targeting GIP, GLP 1, and glucagon receptors for metabolic improvements.