The Enhanced Games, founded by Australian entrepreneur Aron D'Souza, will allow athletes to openly use performance-enhancing drugs under medical supervision. The event, set to take place in Las Vegas, bypasses conventional anti-doping rules.

Bioethicist Andy Miah (University of Salford) notes that enhancement in sports is not new: ancient Olympians used olive oil, and early modern athletes consumed alcohol, mistakenly believed to enhance performance.

Physiologist Michael Joyner (Mayo Clinic) categorizes modern doping into three groups: anabolic steroids, blood doping/EPO, and amphetamines. Peptides stimulate hormone production, but their efficacy is less clear.

Arthur Caplan (NYU Grossman School of Medicine) warns of primary risks: growth hormones increase cancer risk, anabolic steroids cause cardiovascular problems. Secondary risks include joint and tendon injuries from excessive muscle growth.

Caplan criticizes organizers and backers (tech billionaire Peter Thiel and Donald Trump Jr.), accusing them of prioritizing spectacle over athlete safety, comparing the event to ancient Roman gladiatorial combat.

Miah questions the voluntary nature of participation, suggesting many athletes are driven by financial hardship or lack of success in traditional sports.

Future enhancement may involve gene editing technologies like CRISPR, which could permanently alter human biology. Caplan expresses concern: "We're on the edge of interventions that will change our fundamental biology."

Source: www.dw.com