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The World Anti-Doping Agency banned the inhalation of xenon gas on Sunday night after deciding it could be used to enhance athletesรขโฌโข performances illegally.
The president of Wada, Sir Craig Reedie, revealed that the untraceable substance, which studies have shown can stimulate the production of erythropoietin (EPO) and testosterone, had been added to the agencyรขโฌโขs prohibited list with immediate effect.
The Daily Telegraph revealed last month that Wada was planning a crackdown on the use of xenon following reports Russian athletes may have been inhaling it routinely for more than a decade, including before the Winter Olympics in Sochi.
And Reedie confirmed it and fellow noble gas argon had both been banned, with national anti-doping organisations given 90-days to fully implement the change.
รขโฌลThe two noble gases which come from the same family, xenon and argon, will be added to the prohibited list,รขโฌย Reedie told the Telegraph following this weekendรขโฌโขs meeting of Wadaรขโฌโขs executive committee and foundation board.
Xenonรขโฌโขs health-boosting properties have long been known รขโฌโ it is used in some countries as an anaesthetic and is being investigated as a treatment for babies starved of oxygen during birth and heart-attack victims รขโฌโ so anti-doping experts are thought to be unsurprised it may have been hijacked by those seeking to enhance sporting performance.
Benefits are said to include increased heart and lung capacity, a reduction in muscle fatigue, a testosterone boost and an improvement in mood.
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