WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) bans Athletes from using Oxygen

March 22, 2009 | By In Fitness |

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has officially banned the use of bottled or canned oxygen in training and competition.

According to WADA guidelines, bottled or canned oxygen in considered a Prohibited Method under Section M1: Enhancement of oxygen transfer: “Artificially enhancing the uptake, transport or delivery of oxygen is prohibited.” Based on this section, any device that supplies oxygen and fulfills any of these criteria is a prohibited method in sport.

By citing this Section M1 ruling, WADA is categorizing bottled or canned oxygen along with potentially dangerous oxygen delivering methods like blood doping, perfluorocarbons, efaproxiral (RSR13) and modified haemoglobin products. From a risk assessment standpoint alone, this comparison is VERY unreasonable. Oxygen has been safely used in medical treatment for decades, whereas the other methods specifically cited by this rule are known to have potentially serious side effects.

Considering the true nature of recreational canned oxygen, it seems very surprising that WADA would consider it a banned substance or method:

1). It is completely safe and not considered a drug by FDA guidelines.

2). It has never been scientifically proven to enhance athletic performance.

3). It would not violate the true “spirit of sport” because it is publicly available, affordable, and any athlete can obtain it easily.

4). There is no way to effectively test for it, so the athletes who continue to train with oxygen and defy the rules would never get caught or penalized.

Don’t these reasons listed above contradict all of the guidelines we have come to expect WADA to consider when banning a substance or method?

This ruling is very difficult to accept for most people, especially since the NFL (National Football League), one of the most powerful and influential sports organizations in the world, allows its players to publicly use oxygen without restriction during games. This was clearly demonstrated in the Superbowl earlier this year.

Something is definitely amiss with WADA’s decision making process here. Either that, or they have grown in scale to the point where they do not feel they need to justify their actions to the athletes they are supposed to be protecting and governing.

For a full, more detailed version of this press release, go to: www.oxygen4energy.com/wada-bans-oxygen.html