Enhanced Games: between transparency and secret protocol, who really monitors the engaged athletes?

Two independent commissions, medical and scientific, each composed of about ten doctors and professors, have been created to oversee the medical protocol for athletes at the Enhanced games. “These improved Games mark a turning point from punishment to protection, from secrecy to transparency, and from imposed fear to freedom of information.” This is how the Enhanced Games, which begin on Sunday, May 24th, in Las Vegas (Nevada), are presented in an educational video published on their YouTube channel. This unprecedented competition, where doping is allowed, will bring together 42 athletes, swimmers, and weightlifters, all determined to win a share of the €21 million prize money and possibly break world records.

From January to May, most participants, aged 25 to 41, agreed to follow a medical performance enhancement protocol in the United Arab Emirates, including French sprinter Mouhamadou Fall. Despite promises of transparency by the organizers, precise information regarding the medical protocol and supervision of participants has not been revealed to the public.

While little information is known about the medical protocol, it has been mentioned that the participants are being closely monitored by the Sheikh Shakmout Medical Center in Abu Dhabi as part of a clinical study approved by the local ethics committee. However, the choice of the United Arab Emirates poses challenges as the country is not a signatory to ICMJE standards, allowing the organization to keep study records confidential.

The Enhanced Games assure that each athlete undergoes a series of tests before competing, including cardiac evaluations, respiratory tests, organ health imaging, body composition analysis, musculoskeletal assessments, neurocognitive screening, and biomarker analysis from blood, urine, and saliva samples. However, information on the specific substances used has been kept confidential, raising concerns about transparency.

The Enhanced Games claim that all athletes will be monitored for five years post-competition, but experts argue that this period may not be sufficient to fully understand the long-term effects of doping. The World Anti-Doping Agency encourages governments to investigate athletes who have admitted to using banned substances and leave decisions on sanctions to national and international anti-doping organizations.

Furthermore, questions have been raised about the ethics and methodology of the medical protocol followed at the Enhanced Games, with concerns about potential long-term health impacts and the lack of scientific rigor in the study design.

Overall, the Enhanced Games have sparked controversy and skepticism among experts in the field, raising questions about the safety, transparency, and ethical considerations of allowing doping in sports competitions.