GMO in sport Genetically Modified Olympians?

GMO in sport Genetically Modified Olympians? - Channel NewsAsia

Under the new rules, an Olympic athlete's blood and urine samples can be kept for up to eight years, meaning it can be retrospectively tested for gene doping once an accurate test is in place.

"If you were to take a muscle biopsy from an athlete, you'd have a much better chance of (finding it), but that is a much more invasive procedure ... and you'd have to do it in every muscle" -- a technique that is unlikely to ever be approved.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) added gene doping to its list of prohibited substances and methods in 2003, and has spent millions of dollars on developing a test.

In theory, gene doping could see athletes injecting lab-fabricated DNA into their bodies through a carrier, like a virus, to stimulate the production of muscle-growing hormones or red blood cells that shuttle oxygen to the muscles.

A virus works by forcing its own DNA into human cells, which then replicate the DNA containing biological instructions.

"Today, no, it cannot be tested. If a genetically modified athlete wins the 100m sprint at the London 2012 Games, we won't know -- at least not immediately," bioethicist Andy Miah told AFP.

While no-one is sure whether "gene doping" is actually happening yet, the theoretical possibility of people fiddling with their DNA to boost power and endurance is one that scares sport officials.