Un’inchiesta di Ronan Mc Laughlin su Escape Collective pronone delle ipotesi sull’utilizzo di una nuova tecnica («rirespirazione della CO») nel ciclismo (€ — alt).

A second, more aggressive approach, which is called carbon monoxide inhalation and uses the same equipment and techniques, steps into the scientifically new and much riskier realm of inhaling the poisonous gas for the express purpose of performance enhancement. A growing body of recent scientific research suggests CO inhalation can have a powerful impact on measures of aerobic capacity like VO2max, or maximal oxygen uptake.

Le squadre ammettono l’uso della rirespirazione CO, ma solo per eseguire delle analisi post allenamento ad alta quota. Secondo Mc Laughlin gli stessi strumenti possono essere usati per aumentare le prestazioni degli atleti.

Mc Laughlin non porta una prova provata, ma i contatti che ha avuto con le squadre fanno pensare che il vaso di Pandora sia stato scoperchiato non solo nel ciclismo:

There is, again, no hard evidence that WorldTeams are using CO inhalation for performance enhancement. But their exploration of the technique alone makes it more likely that someone else will cross that line, and both scientists and team officials Escape spoke with voiced concern about the potential for abuse. Several other sources claimed the technique was already in use in various sports. One sports scientist confirmed he had seen an athlete – in a sport he would not name – inhaling carbon monoxide for performance gains and conveyed his concern the practice could prove a blight on the Paris Olympics.