Jocks v. Nerds: Detecting Gene-Dopers

kevinvee writes "The World Anti-Doping Agency will soon put into place gene doping tests to detect athletes using gene therapy. Perhaps the most important part to recognize is that Congress delegates have said that gene doping is a 'clear and present danger.' Professor Geoff Goldspink mentions this of gene therapy: 'We can put genes into mice and create Arnold Schwarzenegger mice.' So, be sure to watch next year's elections for furry white mice."

Comments

is it really cheating, though?

[FearUncertaintyDoubt]

It seems to me that the valid reason for making steroid use illegal for competition is that it has dangerous side effects -- i.e., if it was allowed, then everyone would have to use it to stay competitve, and you'd have all these athletes with serious medical problems and roid rages and all that because of it.

If there was a performance-enhancing chemical that was completely safe, I say it is fair, because its use does not involve serious risk. That said, I think the IOC doesn't see it that way.

So my question is, is gene therapy dangerous? If it is, then it probably should be banned. But if not, then why not allow it? At some point, doesn't it seem kind of arbitrary which things are allowed and which are not?

Re:is it really cheating, though?

[The Cydonian]

On a more philosophical level, I've always believed that the main reason why they ban steriods in competitive sports is because they want to continue the charade that sports is:- that, somehow, it's a continuing spirit of human endurance, that's a fair, but competitive arena where any human can compete to the best of his ability, a place where the world otherwise bereft of heroes can see him and applaud.

All of which is, to be sure, absolute nonsense.

The faster we accept that sports is not a measure of human ability, and in fact, just another mass media industry, the better. Let's face it:- just who controls the sports industry these days? Governing bodies? Sportsperson lobbies? Sporting equipment companies? Of course not; the media industry has entered the sports business a long time back. They're the real masters; we're just consumers of a carefully marketed product.

Not that I'm against 'commercialisation' of sports or of the media industry. I still follow sports of course, but I prefer to not be hypocritical about my interest; I'm interested in following sports just as I'm interested in, say, following Neo's escapades on The Matrix.

Not entirely coherent, nor entirely answering your question, but just a thought.

This is stupid

[Ryouga3]

I'm sorry, but I think the probability of safe gene-doping existing is still well-within the realm of science fiction. And even if it existed, so what? Does that mean that if I dope with Michael Johnson's genes and go into a meet against Michael Johnson, that I will have an advantage? Would johnson have to quit the meet if they deem that his natural genes are better than the other athletes? And some gene therapies have caused death. it's not that stable. What we've found is that at the olympic level, training and diet do far more for atheletic performance than faddish treatments. Maybe this would be used in bodybuilding where they through all sorts of chemicals at their bodies, but I doubt it for the performance events. And finally, whether it's valid or not, they've gotten too zealous about the testing. The cold medicine disqualification of the russian gymnast last olympics is an example of how things have gone too far.

oh, get over it

[penguin7of9]

"Once the technology exists for medical use disreputable people will be putting the stuff in athletes," he warned.

If people want to do that with their bodies, let them.

I think much of this fear of doping has to do with the fact that the olympic committee and sports clubs just don't want the futility of their "competitions" exposed. Right now, they tenuously maintain some illusion of participatory sports.

What difference should it make to anybody whether some olympic athlete pumps himself full of genes? Those people are so far removed from regular human beings that it is like watching a carnival side show anyway.

If you like sports, do it yourself. Compete, in a friendly way, with people you know and like. Anything else is not sports but voyeurism and soap opera.

Re:Where can I get some dope genes?

[HoldenCaulfield]

only if you're body is pure muscle mass . . .

The average healthy male is 45% muscle mass, so for the 80 pound weekling, it'd be 80 + 80*.45*.25 for a whopping 89 lbs . . . I don't think the jocks are that worried ;)