Gene Doping Instead of Anabolic Steroids

As each Olympic Games passes us by, we hear of new and improved ways for athletes to improve their performance via means of doping. These doping measures are becoming harder and harder to detect which makes it a hard task to detect doping is sport for the anti-doping authorities.

The newest of worries for the World Anti-Doping Agency is the possibility of athletes taking advantage of new scientific research which enables human gene’s to be altered. Gene therapy is used to treat muscle wasting diseases such as muscular dystrophy.

Experts believe that this form of therapy could be abused by athletes in order to enhance their muscles to be faster, stronger and better able to recover after workouts. All similar benefits associated with the use of anabolic steroids like Dianabol.

Gene doping has its advantages over steroids as it would only need to be injected once, which would save on cost and time.

Although no cases of gene doping have been uncovered in the sporting world, WADA is preparing detection methods and codes of practice to tackle this potential issue for future events.

So far, WADA has invested millions of pounds into creating detection methods for the use of gene doping and they have worked on identifying all 25000 genes in the human body to spot patterns and abnormalities. Keeping sport clean being the WADA’s highest priority.