Topic: Cheaters

[Chris Ⓐ LeRoux]

Mark my words, when you actually start seeing the effects of gene doping in the next couple of decades the whole steroids controversy will pale in comparison and almost seem childish.

Gene doping is already in use, and not just in weightlifting. It is still rough around the edges and very, very dangerous. But, it is happening. Several articles about it are already in this board, and if it surfaced in the press, you can be sure its going on in ever increasing numbers and will rapidly become more sophisticated. The Chinese will get caught in time. It may be a few years, but we will eventually find out what is really going on. They have the money to beat the testing, but as the article about the undercover press investigating the Chinese hospital selling designer steroids/gene doping showed, there are other ways the truth can come out. Someone will rat them out, eventually, or someone will get caught transporting or selling their stuff.

[steve zeigman]

I understand. Jim and Dave were /are right on. This is what I thought too.  But I'm no doping expert and I wanted to ask...there is no stupid question...just people too stupid to ask them.

So there's no way to know who's cheating 100%. Not by weight lifted or by test results! So unless the test comes back a Positive A & B specimen (that's a for sure) the athlete competed fair and square. There's no way to know otherwise except as some nutty personal witch hunt.

Chris et al, could enlighten me a little on this gene doping?  Seriously, this is new to me.  Are they changing the DNA structure of a person?  Is it RNA they're screwing with? AACTG be changed into AACTC?

Or is this some marketing slogan kind of like "Gulf Storm" or "Just Do It"?

[Dave Almeida]

Chris do you have any scientific studies posted in journals that show the effects of gene doping for sports performance in humans? I saw an interview with one of the leading developers of gene doping and it is no where near ready yet according to him. I am still unconvinced that anyone is using it. As I understand it with the technology they have the only certain positive or negative side effect of gene doping for sports performance in humans is cancer or death. I did see a study that cured some form of disease but it also consistently backfired and caused leukemia. 

[Chris Ⓐ LeRoux]

No, no peer-reviewed studies on gene doping in sport, which would not pass IRB of course. I am basing my opinion on this type of stuff:

http://weightliftingexchange.com/smf/index.php?topic=4666
http://weightliftingexchange.com/smf/index.php?topic=4604
http://weightliftingexchange.com/smf/index.php?topic=2506
http://weightliftingexchange.com/smf/index.php?topic=1793.0
http://weightliftingexchange.com/smf/index.php?topic=4650.0
http://weightliftingexchange.com/smf/index.php?topic=3781.0
http://weightliftingexchange.com/smf/index.php?topic=3869.0

[Dave Almeida]

Thanks, Chris. I thought I had read most of them on here but I guess I missed a few. Will review them now.

[AlekoKouva]

PHELPSSSSSSSSSSS!! WOOO WHOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Andy Dick]

Wikipedia has a pretty good summary of what gene doping is.  Basically it is using a virus(harmful affect is removed so it just acts as a carrier that can carry the DNA into the cell)/or other organism that invades a cell and brings new DNA into the cell and places the gene in to allow the muscle to continue to grow or become better.

I also hear it has harmful side effects as stated, as well as the possibility of the harmful effects remanifesting in the virus but now the virus is a new stronger form.  I also hear it is difficult because the immune system needs to be suppressed for it to be more effective.  But I am no expert that is mostly from the brief looking into I have done.

[steve zeigman]

Wow!

After reading that I absolutely can't see where Gene Doping would benefit athletics at all.  That's some scary stuff. Introducing an uncontrollable man made virus into the cellular system. At least anabolic steroids have know and useful benefits in medical application for muscle repair in aged people, induced weight gain, and Muscle Atrophy.

At least theirs some positive and beneficial support for this is pharmacology and medical research. But it is banned for use in athletics, as a performance enhancement, and those that use them are cheaters and should be banned.