Bigger, Faster, Stronger, More Ethical

Abstract

Consider four elite female runners who trained hard for a 1500-meter race. Runner 1 took extra-strength aspirin before the race. Runner 2 has a genetic condition that results in greater levels of testosterone in her body than the typical range for a woman. Runner 3 has been on a carefully scheduled regimen of the hormone erythropoietin (EPO), which has increased her red blood cell count. Runner 4 has a team of diet, sleep, and exercise experts who ensured that she coordinated the exactly right balance of carbs and protein with her rest and workouts. Which of them cheated? Thomas Murray's Good Sport: Why Our Games Matter-and How Doping Undermines Them does not answer this question, but it provides tools to figure it out, and it argues that trying to answer is important.