Creating Super Athletes

This week, Brett and I are going to be talking about an article that we read in the August edition of Men’s Journal. The article is entitled, “Building the New Super Athlete: How Medical Technology is Re-engineering The Human Body for Optimal and Usually Legal Performance.” We want to discuss the ideas that they present because the research aspect of this is really fascinating. We never know where the unintended consequences or maybe even the intended consequences can lead.

The August 2013 article presented us with a half dozen different techniques and experiments that are being utilized to create a “super athlete”. Part of why it is fascinating to of as caretakers of over-40 patients is that it investigates new ways to improve endurance and performance, as well as techniques for making individuals feel younger. Some of this work has potential for treating various illnesses and diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis. However, there are many concerns among the regulatory agencies about these techniques in regard to both medical experimentation and research. The standards and regulations should be different for athletes than they should be for the rest of us. For professional athletes, the rules are aimed at preventing unfair advantages in sports. Non-athletes, however, are more concerned with effectiveness and safety, which is a separate issue.