What Are The Enhanced Games?
The Enhanced Games is a controversial, privately funded international multi-sport event that allows, and even encourages, competitors to use performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs). The concept of the games was conceived in 2022, and it officially started in 2023 in Australia. This year it was held in Las Vegas. These games are similar to the Olympics, as they have track & field, swimming, and weightlifting. Although athletes are allowed to use drugs, they are still medically monitored and frequently get checked for their own safety.
Why Did They Make The Enhanced Games?
The Enhanced Games were made due to many reasons, like many athletes already using PEDs secretly, despite going through drug tests. Athletes also stated that PEDs are just another version of enhancement, as other regulated sport organizations use advanced nutrition, recovery science, altitude training, and carbon fiber equipment to enhance their performance. They argued that PEDs were the same as all the others since they just help you perform better. In addition, they argue that fans would like to see the best of the best, like the fastest, strongest, and most extreme performances possible. They thought the best way to do that was using PEDs.
Are Enhanced Athletes Better Than Normal Athletes?
The question that everyone asks is, are enhanced athletes really better than normal athletes?
The answer could be debated, but studies have shown that normal athletes have been better over the past years than enhanced athletes. Also, in past competitions for swimming and track, both enhanced athletes and normal athletes have competed in the same race, and the normal athletes would win. For example, in the Men’s 100 Sprint, the winner in the Enhanced Games clocked around 9.97 seconds. For comparison, the official world record holder in the regular, non-enhanced Olympics is Usain Bolt, who ran it in 9.58 seconds. A contender who ran 9.97 seconds might not even qualify for the final race!
They have also created separate world records for regular athletes and enhanced athletes. In many sports, the world records for normal athletes are superior to the world records for enhanced athletes.
As enhanced athletes use PEDs to become better athletes, there are some big side effects to it, like heart damage, hormone problems, liver and kidney damage, and mental health effects.
As of late, enhanced games have failed, as they ultimately don’t make you better. Even though they make you stronger and faster, they ultimately damage you, so just stick with being a normal athlete.
