Introduction:
The issue of doping remains a significant challenge in the realm of sports, undermining the fundamental principles of fair competition and prompting extensive countermeasures at the organisational level. Unintentional violations of anti-doping regulations have emerged as a growing concern, often arising from a lack of awareness or inadvertent exposure to prohibited substances.

Aim:
The aim of the study was to evaluate the knowledge of athletes about unintentional doping and identify the factors that influence their level of knowledge.

Material and methods:
The survey was questionnaire-based (questionnaire tested for readability and comprehension). The study involved 384 adult athletes, including students of the Academies of Physical Education in Poland and individuals connected to online sports forums. Statistical analysis was performed using the Statitica 13.3 software (α = 0.05).

Results and discussion:
The results obtained by the respondents in the knowledge test conducted in this study indicate that those with sufficient (n = 174; 45.3%) and insufficient knowledge (n = 149; 38.8%) dominated among the surveyed individuals. Athletes with a medical or health science background were approximately 6.5 times more likely to test positive than those without such a background, and athletes at the national or international level were almost 3 times more likely to test positive than recreational athletes.

Conclusions:
There is a relationship between athletes’ level of awareness regarding unintentional doping and their education and status in the sport. The findings may prove beneficial in the development of more effective doping education programs.