Xenon, argon banned but no test ready

Two noble gases, xenon and argon, have been officially added to the World Anti-Doping Agency’s list of banned substances this month, although that change has been understood to be in the pipe since May of this year.

Still, WADA does not yet have a reliable test for the two substances, making the banning of them negligible until one can be developed.

Dr. Oliver Rabin, WADA’s science director says the agency is close to developing a test.

“We had some preliminary pilot results that do indicate that detection is not too much of an issue but we just need to make it solid and robust in the anti-doping context and make sure that any result in the future will be accepted by a court,” Rabin told BBC.

Xenon gained notoriety during the Sochi Winter Olympics when it was believed Russian athletes were using the gas, and had been using it for years, to improve performance. The two gases are believed to promote the body’s production of a protein called HIF1 which is a precursor to EPO and, in turn, red blood cells, allowing the blood to carry more oxygen to an athlete’s muscles. The gases can be particularly useful in endurance sports like running and cross-country skiing.

Xenon is also used in aesthetics and is being tested as a drug to save infant children born with oxygen deprivation.