Health and Performance Challenges in the Era of Human Enhancement: Insights from Sport Medicine Professionals
Year: 2025
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: BACKGROUND: In the pursuit of sporting success, some elite athletes prioritise peak performance over long-term health, frequently resulting in significant and enduring health consequences. The Enhanced Games (TEG) position themselves as a bold experiment in transhumanism, advocating for the use of performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs), including methods banned by World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), to push the boundaries of human athletic potential. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to explore the perspectives of sport physicians, sport scientists, physiotherapists and other allied healthcare professionals on treating and supporting "enhanced athletes", with the view of informing future guidelines. METHODS: Participants were invited via email and personal contacts within sport medicine communities to complete a brief anonymous survey via QuestionPro™. Descriptive statistics were performed using Excel™ and RStudio™. RESULTS: A total of 323 healthcare professionals responded (82% were sport physicians), among whom 74% expressed a willingness to treat acute lesions and/or chronic diseases in "enhanced athletes". In comparison, a considerable minority (30%) expressed support for assisting athletes in their use of PEDs and methods under medically supervised conditions, with high consistency across professional roles. A relatively high readiness was observed in sport physicians treating acute (77% versus 58%; p < 0.01) and chronic (75% versus 63%; p = 0.11) diseases for "enhanced athletes". As far as WADA rules and/or national anti-doping laws apply, this support presupposes compliance with the code and the respective national laws to protect physicians from serious professional, legal and personal consequences. CONCLUSION: The preliminary findings align with the broader goal of fostering a sport culture that values both peak performance and the short- and long-term health of all participants. These results emphasise the necessity of implementing professional guidelines and comprehensive support systems designed to safeguard the long-term well-being of all athletes and underscore the urgent need for further research into the impact of TEG on sport and its community.
Source: Sports Medicine
Authors: Ke Hu, Christian Schneider, Mark R. Hutchinson, Emin Ergen, Michael Geistlinger, Iain Killoughery, Klaus-Michael Braumann, José Kawazoe Lazzoli, Jane Seto, Xavier Bigard, André Debruyne, Anna Jegier, Theodora Papadopoulou, Pedro Manonelles, Francisco Arroyo, Mourad Ghrairi, Ana V. Cintrón, Petra Zupet, Marcelo Bichels Leitão, Umutcan Kayikci, Daniel Arkader Kopile, Fabio Pigozzi, Chiara Fossati, Alessia Di Gianfrancesco, Luigi Di Luigi, Kirill Micallef Stafrace, Anca Ionescu, Bernd Wolfarth, Metin Ergün, William O. Roberts, Konstantinos Natsis, Camille Tooth, Sandra Rozenštoka, José Antonio Casajús, Borja Muniz-Pardos, Roberto Lohn Nahon, Malav Shroff, Minhao Xie, Demitri Constantinou, Dina CJanse van Rensburg, Bülent Ülkar, Andrew Jowett, Victoriya Badtieva, Jean-François Kaux, Peter Baumgartl, Clea Hadjistephanou Papaellina, Jürgen Steinacker, Julio Motta-Pensabene, Rüdiger Reer, Norbert Bachl, Sergio Migliorini, Maher Zahar, Mark Stuart, James Bilzon, Giuseppe Massazza, Bruno Di Pietro, Khaled Massoud Hassan, Felix Albuquerque Drummond, Bertrand Fincoeur, Andrea Petróczi, Yannis Pitsiladis
Institutions: Hong Kong Baptist University, München Klinik, University of Illinois Chicago, University of Salzburg, Universität Hamburg, Universidade Federal Fluminense, The University of Melbourne, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Medical University of Lodz, Universidad Católica de Murcia, Fédération Internationale de Football Association, University of Puerto Rico System, German Sport University Cologne, Université Paris Nanterre, Hacettepe University, Instituto Nacional de Cardiologia, Ministério da Saúde, Foro Italico University of Rome, Mater Dei Hospital, Triagon Academy, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, University of Minnesota, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, International Olympic Committee, University of Liège, Riga Stradiņš University, International Federation of Sports Medicine, Universidad de Zaragoza, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Spanish Biomedical Research Centre in Physiopathology of Obesity and Nutrition, University of the Witwatersrand, University of Pretoria, Ankara University, Olympic Park Sports Medicine Centre, Sechenov University, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Liège, University of Cyprus, Universität Ulm, Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala, Austrian Institute for Sports Medicine, University College London, British Association of Sport and Exercise Medicine, University of Bath, University of Turin, Sapienza University of Rome, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Széchenyi István University
Language: English
Topic: Doping in Sports
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $5,790
Funder: Hong Kong Baptist University
OpenAlex ID: W4411352454