Doping experts have yet to find an effective test for athletes using xenon and argon, despite introducing a ban on the gases' use by sports stars.
The new ban has been ordered by the World Anti-Doping Agency(Wada), which runs drug testing across many sports.
It follows concerns that athletes were breathing these so-called noble gases to encourage the growth of red blood cells that boost stamina.
But despite being piloted, a valid test is not yet ready, the agency says.
How xenon gas may boost performance
Inhaling xenon, mixed with oxygen, is believed to improve stamina because it increases the body's production of a protein known as hypoxia inducible factor 1, or HIF1.
In turn this stimulates the production of natural erythropoietin (EPO) which regulates the number of red blood cells. The more of these cells, the more oxygen you can carry, and the greater your athletic stamina.
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