The shadow of genetic engineering is increasingly falling on modern sports
The era of GMO athletes is coming to the world
Of course, most of this is the result of many years of training, over-efforts and sacrifices. Although some Olympic champions got a head start due to genetic predisposition.
Biotechnologists from Boston University Juan Enriquez and Steve Gallens in the journal Nature note: in the modern world, it is impossible to achieve success in major sports arenas if a person does not have at least basic "champion genes" (Juan Enriquez & Steve Gullans, Olympics: Genetically enhanced Olympics are coming – VM).
Research shows that almost every modern sprinter has a "strength gene": they have an allelomorph 577R in the ACTN3 gene. Carriers of this gene variant are 85% of dark-skinned and only half of white people.
There is also an endurance gene: variant I of the ACE gene. Its carriers have much more chances to successfully run a marathon or climb Mount Everest. Interestingly, this gene was found in 94% of Sherpas (the peoples inhabiting the Kathmandu Valley in Nepal), and in 45-75% of representatives of other nationalities. Studies conducted among British track and field athletes have shown that the overwhelming number of long-distance runners are carriers of an additional copy of a variant of this gene.
The history of the legendary Finnish skier Eero Myantyurant is closely connected with the Olympic genes. The seven-time Olympic medalist (three gold medals) and five-time World Championship winner (two gold medals) became the first Finnish athlete to be accused of using illegal doping. However, the biggest surprise occurred in 1993: genetic studies showed that almost all members of the runner's family, including the champion himself, were carriers of a mutated version of the EPOR gene. It controls the synthesis of proteins acting as a receptor for erythropoietin, a hormone that stimulates the production of erythrocytes (red blood cells) and increases the oxygen transport function of the blood. As a result, the production of red blood cells and the capacity of oxygen transportation increases by 25-30%. According to experts, this is what played a big role in the career of the Finnish skier.
Today, humanity is learning more and more about its genes: more than 200 of them are associated with athleticism, endurance and agility. A serious question has arisen: are sports competitions still games of ordinary people today, or competitions of trained mutants? Of course, this is kind of a joke, because throughout the history of mankind, genes have repeatedly mutated, and this process continues to this day.
Natural born runners: what evolution has given manBrain: Physical activity, primarily running (hunting or trying to escape from a predator), led to an increase in the size and efficiency of the brain in Homo sapiens.
The brain volume of Homo erectus averaged 980 ml, the brain volume of the average Homo sapiens is 1350 ml. New nerve cells and brain connections have appeared.
Skeleton: about 2 million years ago, man "received" a skeleton that makes it possible to walk and run in an upright position.
Improving proportions: the ability of a person to move for long distances has improved several traits obtained during evolution. So, a person's legs have lengthened, his shoulders have become wider and the gluteal muscles have developed.
Cooling: loss of hair, the ability to breathe deeply through the mouth, as well as intense sweating allowed a person to cope with excess heat. Our ancestors hunted down their prey for many hours and fell from exhaustion. Today, for a three-hour hunt (or marathon), a person can "safely" lose about 10% of weight.
Longer and shorter: in the pursuit of the victim, our ancestors were helped by a longer and stronger Achilles tendon, as well as knee and ankle joints that take on the weight of the body. For the same reason, modern man has shortened toes.
Superathlets: what technology gives a personHormones
Growth hormone: produced by the pituitary gland, increases strength, facilitates recovery after exercise
Erythropoietin: it is produced in the kidneys, activates the maturation of red blood cells and, as a result, increases the oxygen-supplying capacity of the blood.
More oxygen: with the help of oxygen-filled nanoparticles injected directly into the circulatory system, athletes will be able to improve endurance.
Anabolic steroids: a group of substances (mainly testosterone derivatives) of natural or synthetic origin that accelerate the process of cell division. Athletes use anabolics to stimulate the growth of muscle mass. Given the serious side effects, they are considered one of the most dangerous forms of doping.
Gene therapy
With the help of modified viruses, it will be possible to deliver the necessary gene variants into the athletes' body, giving them an advantage over competitors. The most promising is the introduction of genes that increase the production of erythropoietin.
Injections of the "strength gene" (allelomorph 577R of the ACTN3 gene) and the "endurance gene" (ACE variant I) may be promising.
Artificial limbs and joints: prostheses and artificial joints are insensitive to pain, resistant to damage and shocks.
There is another question: should there be a division into competitions for genetically "gifted" or genetically "not gifted" athletes in the future? Henriques and Gallens believe that the Olympic Games of the future can take place in three scenarios.
In the first case, the competitions will continue to be competitions of athletes, whose genetic superiority came from dad and mom.
In the second case, with the help of so-called handicaps (used today in golf and polo), the chances will be leveled between athletes with good genes (for example, they may be deprived of several points while still on the stratum) and athletes deprived of such genes.
The third scenario would allow the latter to perform a biological upgrade. Thanks to the use of gene therapy, athletes would receive in the laboratory what nature did not give them.
Even today, many experts secretly say that modern Olympic champions often gain an advantage over competitors thanks to genetic engineering. Doping of this type is extremely difficult to detect. After all, if a "good" gene gets directly into a muscle (a specially prepared virus may be the means of transportation in this case), only a sample of the tissue of this muscle can serve as proof of the athlete's dishonesty.
But even if the gene is detected, it will be difficult to prove whether it was inherited, or the athlete received it artificially. After all, today doctors sometimes cannot even determine the gender of an athlete: an athlete or an athlete.
However, maybe the future of the Olympic Games is not in finding new methods of detecting doping, but in implementing the third plan proposed by Henriques and Galles? Then the slogan "Everyone has equal chances" should be changed to "Everyone has equal genes".
The history of sports knows many cases when what seemed unreal yesterday is now taken for granted. One of the most recent examples is the story of runner Oscar Pistorius. The debate over whether an athlete with prosthetics can run on a par with healthy runners was so lively that four years ago Pistorius was allowed to compete only at the Paralympics. And although many coaches and athletes still consider Oscar's prostheses to be a form of technological doping, this year Pistorius, who plays for South Africa, still took part in the Olympic Games.
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru13.08.2012