A hundred years ago, if there had been a way someone could take a substance and improve his ability to play sports, it would have been hailed as a magic potion. It was the stuff of fantasy. Now that it's here, we call it steroids.
Actually, steroids and human growth hormones, are just some of the substances used to enhance physical performance. An athlete is definitely not doing his best if he neglects proper nutrition which includes the best nutritional supplementation. But steroids are considered bad and nutritional supplementation is good. How do we really know where to draw the line?
When is it cheating, and when is it taking proper advantage of the technological and medical advances of our society? We think we know. But do we really?
What about the Paralympics? How much medical technology can be introduced into the games before it becomes cheating? What if certain prosthesis actually make the contestants better than unaided persons with normal limbs? These are issues that will need to be resolved by consensus.
Let us not be too hasty to vilify those who may have chosen poorly. It takes time for society to work out the norms for new technologies and to establish clear definitions of right and wrong. We're still trying to figure out the proper etiquette for using a cell phone.
That's Wade's two cents.
Wade Houston
December 14, 2007
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