Perspectives Of Sports Medicine Professionals On Treating And Supporting ‘Enhanced Athletes’ In The Context Of The Enhanced Games

(Authors continued) Sergio Migliorin: World Triathlon (WT), Lausanne, Switzerland; Maher Zahar: Tunisian Centre of Sports Medicine and Science, Tunis, Tunisia; Mark Stuart: University College London, UK; James Bilzon: University of Bath, Bath, UK; Giuseppe Massazza: University of Turin, Turin, Italy; Bruno Di Pietro: University ”Sapienza” Rome Italy, Rome, Italy; Khaled Massoud Hassan: Egyptian Ministry of Youth Sports, Mohandeseen, Giza, Egypt; Felix Albuquerque Drummond: IME Porto Alegre/Sports Medicine Institute, Brasil; Bertrand Fincoeur: Swiss Federal Technology Institute of Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland; Andrea Petroczi: Szechenyi Istvan University, Gyor, Hungary; Yannis Pitsiladis, FACSM: Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, Hong Kong BACKGROUND: Some elite athletes prioritize peak performance over long-term health, often leading to significant and lasting health consequences. The Enhanced Games (TEG) position themselves as a transhumanist experiment, advocating for the use of performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs), including banned methods, to push the boundaries of human athletic potential. PURPOSE: To explore the perspectives of sports physicians, sport scientists, physiotherapists, and other healthcare professionals on treating and supporting “enhanced athletes,” aiming to inform future guidelines. METHODS: Participants were invited via email and personal contacts to complete a brief anonymous online survey. RESULTS: A total of 323 sports medicine professionals responded (81% were sports physicians). 74% were willing to treat acute lesions and/or chronic diseases in “enhanced athletes.” In comparison, approximately 30% expressed support for assisting athletes in the use of PEDs and methods under medically supervised conditions. This support is contingent on compliance with WADA rules and national anti-doping laws to protect physicians from legal and professional consequences. CONCLUSIONS: Preliminary findings align with the goal of fostering a sports culture that balances peak performance with athlete health. These results highlight the need for professional guidelines and support systems to safeguard the long-term well-being of athletes and call for further research into the impact of TEG on sports and its community. Supported by: This study was conducted without funding or the use of AI

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Publication Details

Journal
Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise
Published
2025-09-16
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1249/01.mss.0001161804.04601.a5
Primary Topic
Sports injuries and prevention
Type
article
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article

Perspectives Of Sports Medicine Professionals On Treating And Supporting ‘Enhanced Athletes’ In The Context Of The Enhanced Games

André Debruyne, Clea Hadjistephanou Papaellina, William O. Roberts, Anca Ionescu et al.
Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise
Sports injuries and prevention
article

Perspectives Of Sports Medicine Professionals On Treating And Supporting ‘Enhanced Athletes’ In The Context Of The Enhanced Games

André Debruyne, Clea Hadjistephanou Papaellina, William O. Roberts, Anca Ionescu, Alessia Di Gianfrancesco, Metin Ergün, Theodora Papadopoulou, Norbert Bachl, Sandra Rozenštoka, Christian Schneider, Camille Tooth, Xavier Bigard, Roberto Lohn Nahon, Jane T. Seto, Francisco Arroyo, Borja Muñiz-Pardos, Petra Zupet, Konstantinos Natsis, José A. Casajús, Dina C. Janse van Rensburg, Marcelo Bichels Leitão, Luigi Di Luigi, Anna Jegier, Ke Hu, Mourad Ghrairi, Demitri Constantinou, В. А. Бадтиева, P Baumgartl, Jürgen Michael Steinacker, Kirill Micallef Stafrace, José Kawazoe Lazzoli, Bülent Ülkar, Bernd Wolfarth, Mark R. Hutchinson, Ana V. Cintron, Michael Geistlinger, Pedro Manonelles, Emin Ergen, Malav Shroff, Umutcan Kayikçi, Minhao Xie, Francesco Chiara, Iain Killoughery, Andrew Jowett, Klaus-Michael Braumann, Rüdiger Reer, Julio Motta-Pensabene, Daniel Arkader Kopile, Pigozzi Fabio, Jean-Fran ̧cois Kaux
article en

Abstract

(Authors continued) Sergio Migliorin: World Triathlon (WT), Lausanne, Switzerland; Maher Zahar: Tunisian Centre of Sports Medicine and Science, Tunis, Tunisia; Mark Stuart: University College London, UK; James Bilzon: University of Bath, Bath, UK; Giuseppe Massazza: University of Turin, Turin, Italy; Bruno Di Pietro: University ”Sapienza” Rome Italy, Rome, Italy; Khaled Massoud Hassan: Egyptian Ministry of Youth Sports, Mohandeseen, Giza, Egypt; Felix Albuquerque Drummond: IME Porto Alegre/Sports Medicine Institute, Brasil; Bertrand Fincoeur: Swiss Federal Technology Institute of Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland; Andrea Petroczi: Szechenyi Istvan University, Gyor, Hungary; Yannis Pitsiladis, FACSM: Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, Hong Kong BACKGROUND: Some elite athletes prioritize peak performance over long-term health, often leading to significant and lasting health consequences. The Enhanced Games (TEG) position themselves as a transhumanist experiment, advocating for the use of performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs), including banned methods, to push the boundaries of human athletic potential. PURPOSE: To explore the perspectives of sports physicians, sport scientists, physiotherapists, and other healthcare professionals on treating and supporting “enhanced athletes,” aiming to inform future guidelines. METHODS: Participants were invited via email and personal contacts to complete a brief anonymous online survey. RESULTS: A total of 323 sports medicine professionals responded (81% were sports physicians). 74% were willing to treat acute lesions and/or chronic diseases in “enhanced athletes.” In comparison, approximately 30% expressed support for assisting athletes in the use of PEDs and methods under medically supervised conditions. This support is contingent on compliance with WADA rules and national anti-doping laws to protect physicians from legal and professional consequences. CONCLUSIONS: Preliminary findings align with the goal of fostering a sports culture that balances peak performance with athlete health. These results highlight the need for professional guidelines and support systems to safeguard the long-term well-being of athletes and call for further research into the impact of TEG on sports and its community. Supported by: This study was conducted without funding or the use of AI

Medicine & Science in Sports & ExerciseVol. 57(10S)
University of Minnesota (US), International Olympic Committee (CH), Hong Kong Baptist University (HK), Ankara University (TR), University of Liège (BE), Universität Hamburg (DE), Sechenov University (RU), University of Salzburg (AT), University of the Witwatersrand (ZA), Universität Ulm (DE), University of Puerto Rico System (PR), Foro Italico University of Rome (IT), Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (GR), Universidad de Zaragoza (ES), University of Cyprus (CY), University of Illinois Chicago (US), Medical University of Lodz (PL), Riga Stradiņš University (LV), Olympic Park Sports Medicine Centre (AU), FACC (Austria) (AT), Murdoch Children's Research Institute (AU), International Federation of Sports Medicine (CH), Hacettepe University (TR), Universidad Católica de Murcia (ES), University of Pretoria (ZA), Universidad de Murcia (ES)
Openalex Percentile: Top 68%
Sports injuries and prevention
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