The advancement of science and technology indirectly affects high-performance sports throughout the world. A new modality called genetic doping can influence the results Paris 2024 Olympic Games are two sporting events in the future that are not too distant.
The practice of doping has existed since the invention of sports. History records numerous cases of athletes consuming a substance that helped them improve their performance during a competition.
As two years have passed, medications have been developed to improve the muscle recovery process, fatigue and increase resistance in sports.
TO World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) It identifies all these substances and those who practice them end up being subjected to severe sanctions.
But now a new method has emerged that is responsible for directly modifying the genetics of a person, to improve sports performance, which would be very difficult to detect medical hairs from AMA through a simple blood sample.
According to the review Bio Biosome of the genetic doping techniques identified are:
- Gene therapy: An artificial gene is introduced into the athlete’s body to produce a protein that improves performance, such as erythropoietin (EPO), which increases the production of red blood cells.
- DNA Modification: The athlete’s DNA is modified to produce a more efficient version of a natural protein, such as myostatin, which limits muscle growth.
- Genetic editing: The CRISPR-Cas9 technique is used to edit the DNA of athletes and correct genetic mutations that could affect their performance.
How are we able to detect that he is submissive to these procedures?
Currently there is no 100% effective technique to detect when an athlete has been subjected to genetic doping. However, the AMA is working on several procedures that could be alternatives to identify when this violation occurs.
The best thing is the biological passport, a record of an athlete’s biological data, such as his blood and urinary profile. These data can be used to detect alterations that may be associated with genetic doping.
As a biological passport, other methods could be applied, such as analysis of messenger RNA, proteomic tests, analysis of metabolites and imaging studies that detect changes in muscle structure.