OtherDeproteinised calf blood extractBiological ultrafiltrate

Actovegin

Also known as Deproteinised haemoderivative · Solcoseryl (related product)

Written by enwyReviewed 5 Aug 20262 sources0 comments

Actovegin is a deproteinised ultrafiltrate of calf blood marketed in some countries for wound healing, peripheral vascular disease and diabetic neuropathy. Popular in sports medicine for injury recovery and claimed to improve tissue oxygen utilisation, its performance benefit is unproven. It is not currently on the WADA Prohibited List but sits in a grey area and is banned as a blood product in some countries.

01 Overview

Actovegin is a poorly characterised biological extract of calf blood, claimed to enhance cellular glucose uptake and oxygen utilisation. It gained notoriety in endurance sport after a 2000 Tour de France discovery, prompting a temporary WADA ban that was lifted when no clear performance-enhancing mechanism or detection method was established.\n\nEvidence for meaningful ergogenic or recovery benefit is weak and mostly low-quality. As an injectable calf-blood derivative it carries theoretical infection and anaphylaxis risks, and its exact composition is undefined. It is not currently prohibited by WADA per se, but injections above small volumes can breach the ban on IV infusions, and it is unapproved or restricted in several countries including the US.

02 Mechanism

Claimed to increase cellular glucose and oxygen uptake and mitochondrial oxidative metabolism, though the active constituents and mechanism are poorly defined.

03 Dosing

Tier	Dose	Route	Notes
Medical (where marketed)	200–400 mg	IM	IV/IM in countries where marketed; large IV infusions can breach WADA infusion rules

04 Effects

Effect	Magnitude	Evidence
Claimed faster injury recoveryWidely used by athletes for muscle-injury recovery, but controlled evidence of benefit is weak.	Unproven	Anecdotal
Claimed improved oxygen utilisationProposed to enhance cellular oxygen and glucose uptake; human performance data are lacking.	Unclear	Preclinical

05 Side effects

Effect	Severity	Frequency	Evidence	Countermeasures
Anaphylaxis / hypersensitivityAs a heterologous blood-derived injectable it can cause allergic and anaphylactic reactions.	Severe	Rare	Observational
Infection / unknown composition riskInjecting a poorly defined biological product, often obtained illicitly, risks contamination and infection.	Moderate	Rare	Anecdotal

06 Legal status

United States

Not FDA-approved

Not currently WADA-prohibited, but large IV infusions breach infusion rules; unapproved in the US · as of Jan 2026

Germany

Prescription (where marketed)

Marketed in parts of Europe/Asia for vascular and neuropathic indications · as of Jan 2026

07 References

Actovegin in sports medicine: evidence reviewBritish Journal of Sports Medicine, 2011

WADA Prohibited List and infusion (M2) rulesWorld Anti-Doping Agency

08 Discussion0 comments

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This page is reference information, not medical advice. Doses and protocols are documented as they appear in the clinical literature and in practice — describing them is not a recommendation to use them. Countermeasures listed here are not a substitute for a physician. Legal status varies by jurisdiction and changes.