Science & technology | What doesn’t kill you

Why carbon monoxide could appeal to the discerning doper

Professional cycling is debating whether to ban the poisonous gas

A silhouette view of the peloton
Photograph: Getty Images

CARBON MONOXIDE is best-known as a poison. Each year around 30,000 people worldwide die from exposure to the gas, which can be produced by cooking stoves or indoor fires. But could it also have something to offer the hard-pressed athlete looking for an edge?

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This article appeared in the Science & technology section of the print edition under the headline “Riding high”

From the February 1st 2025 edition

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