The Truth About Xenon Gas and Mountain Climbing: A Scientific Review
Inhaling xenon gas before high-altitude expeditions doesn't improve mountain-climbing performance, according to a recent scientific review in the journal High Altitude Medicine and Biology. The authors found no evidence that xenon inhalation enhances acclimatization or shortens travel time, despite widespread media attention and its use by climbers during 2024 and 2025 Mount Everest ascents.
The analysis examined claims that xenon could help mountaineers adapt more quickly to extreme altitude. However, the researchers concluded that using xenon with climbing lacks scientific support and that its risks may outweigh unproven benefits.
"While xenon has interesting biological properties, there is currently no credible evidence it enhances altitude performance or safety," the authors noted. "Other aspects of the expedition protocols likely played a much greater role in determining success rates."
Dr. Andrew Luks, a UW Medicine lung specialist and corresponding author of the review, stated, "I know that all the attention was on xenon in these stories, but the climbers were doing other things to prepare that made more of a difference. In fact, there really was no evidence of xenon doing anything."
Climbers' use of xenon gas grabbed headlines in May when four Brits climbed Mount Everest, the world's highest mountain, in seven days. Usually, such acclimatization takes weeks. Xenon, a colorless, odorless, tasteless gas, is explored for high-altitude climbing because it may stimulate the body to increase red blood cell production, potentially enhancing oxygen capacity and facilitating acclimatization.
However, the International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation issued a statement against xenon's use, stating that more study is needed. Luks, a climber, attributed fast ascents to hypoxic tents and supplemental oxygen, which allowed climbers' bodies to acclimatize to high altitudes.
"When someone is using supplemental oxygen while climbing Mount Everest, their body is not experiencing the physiology of Mount Everest, but the physiology of a lower mountain," Luks said. The review examined xenon's physiological effects, evaluated potential mechanisms for its use in low-oxygen environments, and highlighted possible medical and logistical risks, urging caution among climbers and expedition leaders.
"Xenon has shown some effect in animal studies, but the problem is that there's no evidence it increases hemoglobin or exercise performance in humans, nor are climbers at high altitude experiencing cardiac arrest or traumatic brain injury," Luks explained.
