TFL Vsebine / Revija Revus

Uporaba prepovedanih sredstev za izboljševanje zmogljivosti (SIZ) postaja v poklicnem športu vedno bolj razširjena, kljub obstoju obsežnega sistema protidopinških mehanizmov in organizacij. Javno in strokovno mnenje kaže, da je doping dojet kot problem predvsem zaradi etičnih vidikov, povezanih s pravičnostjo in pristnostjo, morebitnimi škodljivimi vplivi na zdravje uporabnikov ter širšimi negativnimi družbenimi vplivi. Članek tako nudi primerjavo in kritično analizo izbranih etičnih argumentov, ki se nanašajo na omenjene vidike ter predlagajo rešitve sedanjega stanja s krepitvijo ali s odpravo obstoječe regulacije. Ugotavlja, da se osrednji problem ne nahaja zgolj v novih zmožnostih, ki jih odpira tehnološki razvoj, temveč tudi v posameznih percepcijah namena in narave poklicnega športa ter v sedanjem razkoraku med »idealnim« in »realnim« stanjem v poklicnem športu. V zaključku podaja razmišljanja o reševanju težav rabe SIZ, kjer kot potencialno obetaven pristop izpostavlja ugotavljanje sistemskega zdravstvenega stanja športnikov.

The topic of enhancing physical performance in professional sports has stirred up renewed attention in sporting and expert circles in recent years. The antidoping approach that has been in place since the latter half of the twentieth century has not yielded satisfactory results as the use of forbidden means of enhancing performance (MEP) continues to be widespread in most professional sport disciplines. Advances in genetics and biotechnology have enabled the development of new MEP that are highly effective and progressively harder to detect, while future developments promise to deliver even more potent technologies, such as genetic engineering. Some bioethicists have claimed that the only possibility of restraining this form of cheating lies in strengthening antidoping mechanisms and regulations, while banning any non-therapeutic use in professional sports and in society in general. To act otherwise would be unethical, as it would have detrimental effects on justice, fairness and authenticity in professional sports, threatening its very spirit and nature. Such practices could also have adverse effects on the health of athletes and negative effects on the wider society. Others have argued that it is unethical to persist with current antidoping policies as they are ineffectual and the use of MEP in a proper institutional setting no more threatens the health of athletes than professional sport does.