Categories: USA

Cycling prohibition controversial use of carbon monoxide replenishment

The director of cycling has prohibited the repeated use of carbon monoxide reclaimed that certain cyclists abute to artificially increase their performance.

After a meeting of its executive committee on Saturday in France, the UCI declared having approved a prohibition of repeated inhalation to protect the health of runners. The ban begins on February 10.

The inhalation will however continue to be authorized “in a medical establishment and under the responsibility of an experienced health professional in the treatment of this gas for medical reasons,” said the UCI.

The use of carbon monoxide was put under the spotlight during the Tour de France when the cycling site Exhaust collective reported that the runners of several teams inhaled toxic gas to optimize altitude training.

The gas can be used as a tracer to monitor the diffusion of oxygen in the lungs or the total mass of hemoglobin, a key blood value for runners. Two Tour de France Champion Jonas Vingegaard said Last month, some used the method to boost “by regularly inhaling low doses of carbon monoxide, which leads to a significant increase in performance”.

The UCI has decided to act on medical reasons, claiming that gas, when it was inhaled several times in non -medical conditions, “can cause acute and chronic health problems, for example headaches, Lethargy, nausea, dizzy and confusion. ”

“Such symptoms can worsen at any time and turn into problems of heart rate, convulsions, paralysis and loss of consciousness,” he added.

The new rules prohibit the possession, apart from a medical establishment, of replenishment systems available in the trade linked to oxygen and co-cylinders, said the UCI.

When carried out under medical supervision, the UCI said that a single inhalation will be allowed to measure the total mass of hemoglobin, with a second inhalation only granted two weeks after the first measure.

“Our priority is to protect the health and security of our athletes and today is another important step in this direction,” said UCI president David Lappartient.

The method remains authorized by the World Anti -Doping Agency and the UCI said it had asked the body to take a stand on the issue.