On Tuesday afternoon at an International Cycling Union (UCI) management seminar in Nice, France, cycling’s world governing body asked the World Anti-Doping Agency to officially take a position and issue a statement on Carbon Monoxide (CO) doping.

“The UCI clearly asks teams and riders not to use repeated CO inhalation. Only the medical use of a single inhalation of CO in a controlled medical environment could be acceptable,” the UCI said via press release. “The UCI is also officially requesting the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) to take a position on the use of this method by athletes.”

Concerns about the potentially deadly drug’s use within the top levels of the sport, as well as with amateurs since they often emulate pros, have been brewing for over a year. Tour de France champions Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard are among those known to have inhaled carbon monoxide to improve their VO2 by increasing the number of red blood cells in their body – similar to high altitude training.

For endurance athletes, like cyclists, the advantages of improving performance with CO are ease of use, high erythropoietic effectiveness, and no risk of detection, because CO is not explicitly banned by WADA. Although, the current prohibited substances list could be interpreted in a way that the inhalation of CO to increase red blood cell mass is already prohibited by section “M1. Manipulation of Blood and Blood Components”.

Detalo Health, a Danish company manufacturing a carbon monoxide rebreathing device, advises against using their machine to increase red blood cell mass.

“I completely agree that we should advise against the use of carbon monoxide inhalation with the intent to increase hemoglobin mass. That should be clear. And we have stated this on numerous occasions already,” said Carsten Lundy, CEO of Detalo Health. “I’m very much against carbon monoxide inhalation with the intent to increase performance. I think it’s against the spirit of sports. I don’t want my kids to inhale toxic gas in order to become World Champions.”

For amateurs thinking they too can Carbon Monoxide dope like the pros by simply training in a closed garage with an auto engine running (producing CO), DO NOT try it. Gasoline powered engines produce high concentrations of CO quickly, overcoming exposed individuals before they realize they are at risk of death since the toxic gas is odorless, colorless, and tasteless.

Photo Credit: Detalo Health

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