It’s lugworms, apparently. We’ve been waiting a long time for the next big breakthrough in doping, and I’d be lying if I said I was expecting it to be lugworms (as reported here, if context is needed - ed). They don’t even go very quickly.
But lugworm haemoglobin is, it turns out, amazing. That’s part of the reason they can survive both in water and in air. Their haemoglobin can transport 40 times more oxygen than human haemoglobin, and is 250 times smaller. It can be stored at room temperature, or even freeze dried so you can pop it in the post. Its effects kick in almost immediately. And a short half-life means it’s only present in the system for about 4-8 hours, making it long-lasting enough for a race, but very hard to detect thereafter.
