Cycling governing body seeks ban on use of controversial carbon monoxide

AIGLE, Switzerland — Cycling’s governing body wants to ban the controversial carbon monoxide rebreathing method used by athletes to measure their performances.

The UCI said on Thursday a ban for medical reasons will be discussed by its management committee at its next meeting in France from Jan. 31-Feb. 1.

The use of carbon monoxide was put under the spotlight during the Tour de France when the cycling website, Escape Collective reported that riders from multiple teams inhaled the 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 racers.

“However, when inhaled repeatedly in non-medical conditions, it can cause side effects such as headaches, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, chest pain, breathing difficulties, and even loss of consciousness,” the UCI said.

The federation added that the health side effects and the lack of knowledge about long-term effects justify a ban, but that its use “in a medical setting, by qualified medical personnel, and within the strict context of assessing total hemoglobin mass, would, however, remain authorised.”