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

According to an official statement from WADA, bottled or canned oxygen falls under the Prohibited Methods, Section M1: Enhancement of oxygen transfer: "Artificially enhancing the uptake, transport or delivery of oxygen is prohibited." Therefore, based on this definition, any device that supplies oxygen and fulfills any of those criteria is a prohibited method in sport.

By referring to Section M1, WADA is evaluating bottled or canned oxygen from the same perspective as potentially dangerous oxygen delivering methods like blood doping, modified haemoglobin products, efaproxiral (RSR13) and perfluorocarbons. This comparison is VERY unreasonable from a risk assessment standpoint. Oxygen has been used safely in medical treatments for a long time, whereas the other methods specifically cited under this ruling are known to have potentially serious side effects.

When considering the actual nature of recreational canned oxygen, it is surprising that WADA would even consider banning it, for the following reasons:

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 is publicly available and not cost prohibitive, so any athlete can easily obtain it. Therefore it would not jeopardize the true "spirit of sport."

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.

WADA's decision making process in this case is definitely questionable. Either that, or they have grown so powerful that they no longer feel obligated to justify their actions to the public or the athletes they are supposed to protect and govern.

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