Aigle (Switzerland), Dec 12 (AP) 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 January 31 to February 1.

Also Read | PAK vs SA 2nd T20I 2024 Preview: Likely Playing XIs, Key Battles, H2H and More About Pakistan vs South Africa Cricket Match in Centurion.

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.

Also Read | India’s Squad for ACC Women’s U19 Asia Cup 2024 Announced: Niki Prasad to Captain Side in Inaugural Edition of Tournament.

“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.” (AP) UNG 7/21/2024

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)