Should X-men be allowed in future Olympics?

Enhancing human athletic performance via drugs or genetics is a highly controversial area. In this class discussion, the topic will be erythropoietin (Epo) and myostatin (Myo): two naturally occurring human signals that regulate endurance and strength, respectively.

The main question is whether eligibility for specific sports is to be limited to athletes with “normal” ranges of Epo, Myo, or other genes/proteins that limit human performance. What is the future of "fair play" in the Olympics?

Epo: The Finnish cross country skier Eero Mantyranta won several gold medals in his sport in 1964. Although Mantyranta was suspected of using drugs, it turns out that he was a mutant with a hyperactive Epo receptor. This mutation causes greater production of oxygen-carrying red blood cells, a natural “blood doping” that increases endurance. Other endurance sport athletes have been banned from competing or receiving medals for taking Epo or related chemicals to enhance their performance through artificial “blood doping”.

Is it fair to ban the drug users but not the genetically blessed, when the overall effect is the same?

Myo: Loss of the signaling protein myostatin causes a large increase in muscle mass in mice, cattle, and even humans, as shown by the pictures below.

Normal heterozygote homozygous mutant

cattle (below); human baby (right) lacking myostatin

Thus, myostatin is a naturally occurring inhibitor of muscle development. Researchers are eagerly trying to develop drugs that inhibit myostatin. However, athletes will likely be screened for myostatin inhibitors and human mutants lacking Myo will be found (and have been already).

Should drug users be excluded and mutants allowed to compete? What is the purpose of athletics?

For other discussions and information on this topic, see the following web pages:

http://www.rense.com/general56/mutant.htm

http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1590/is_2_59/ai_99554829

http://www.futurepundit.com/archives/002307.html

Scientific articles on myostatin and erythropoietin receptor mutant (article 1 and article 2)

A July 2004 Scientific American article on Gene Doping in Athletics