Beating Dope Tests with Genes: The Physiology of the Doping Scenario

An amazing article in The New York Times explains the fact that some human beings can take testosterone without it being detected. They do this not with science, but with nature. Their bodies lack genes which convert testosterone into a form that dissolves in urine. This test, conducted in Sweden, illustrates the problem in the war against doping: there are so many factors that play into positive tests, that science will never be able to ensure that no athletes are cheating.

Interestingly, Asian men exhibit these traits the most. Host country China, long known as less than enthusiastic about fair play, must know about this happening. Is it fair to think that there will be Asian athletes, both from China and other Asian countries, at the games that are illegally taking testosterone? Absolutely.

All of the revelations from the Swiss test bring us to the inevitable question: should athletes be allowed to gene dope? Put simply, gene doping is the manipulation of genes to enhance athletic performance. So, an athlete like a cyclist would manipulate his or her genes to be better able to process oxygen and build muscle mass as a means of becoming a better cyclist.

The arguments for gene doping are heated. Some feel it is the beginning of a Pandora's Box situation, while others think it levels the playing field. No one disagrees however that gene doping isn't far off, and will be here sooner rather than later. In what is a scary proposition, a young athlete in training could presumably have their genes altered at a young age. By the time they arrive on the elite level of the sport, no one would be the wiser that they have used these illegal methods to become the athletes they are.

Thinking about Riccardo Ricco, didn't he always claim that his high hematocrit levels have been that way ever since he was a little boy? In the future, such a statement wouldn't mean that the athlete didn't cheat. In a world that is becoming increasingly more technical, gene doping significantly changes the fight against doping. Already pundits are arguing that gene doping should be legalised now as a way of evening the playing field. It may be a good arguement. Athletes will always cheat. And they will use gene doping illegally, and unsafely, if it is not legalised. Either way, it's a tough argument to solve for the athletic community.