Faster, higher, stronger ... fairly

By Nina Notman2014-11-20T00:00:00

Cartoon depicting doping with noble gases

Nina Notman investigates the recent ban on athletes inhaling noble gases

There are 32 global labs accredited by the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada). They are filled with oodles of high tech analytical chemistry instruments able to detect minute traces of prohibited drugs in blood and urine. But as these techniques improve, unscrupulous athletes are just moving onto doping approaches not (yet) on Wada’s prohibited list.

The latest approach uncovered, and hence banned, is inhaling noble gases argon or xenon.

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