Denver Sykes
6/18/18
Gene Doping
Gene doping is the misuse of gene therapy to increase athletic ability and
performance. Many of the genes and proteins that are associated with athletic ability have
been located and are already started to be modified so professional athletes can perform on a
higher level. The four major american sports, government and media have all denounce and
discourage the use of gene doping in sports without explaining why it's immoral. In the article
“Will Gene Doping Destroy Sports” it describes Gene Doping as cheating and similar to other
performance enhancing drugs.
The first argument about gene doping is that it’s cheating and unfair in sports. Gene
doping would be cheating in organizations like the NFL and fall under the rules of other
performance enhancing drugs however, it is nearly impossible to detect and there is no way to
test for it. An athlete like Lebron James could be gene doping but no one would know
because of the inability to test for it. Many would say it would be unfair for athletes to obtain
an advantage because it would give them an edge with stamina and strength compared to
athletes who don't do it. Another concern is that it is disrespectful to the people who train
hard to get strong and increase their stamina. Someone who spends three hours in the gym
could now have the same strength and ability as someone who only spends one hour. It is also
an argument about who can gene dope.
The economic disadvantages of gene doping is also a viable argument. Especially in
college and high school sports it comes down to how much money parents are willing to
spend for their kids future. If a kid is a track star naturally ...
