Inside the murky world of doping in sport, uncovering how the cheats keep one step ahead of the authorities and what drives them to do so.
As human beings, we're fascinated by elite human performance. But what if it derives from nefarious means? Some of the most iconic and revered athletes in history have been handed bans when at the pinnacle of their sports - from Lance Armstrong, Ben Johnson, and Marion Jones to Diego Maradona, Shane Warne and Jannick Sinner. And now with the emergence of the Enhanced Games, where steroids and peptides are not only allowed but encouraged, an athlete's performance is questioned more than ever.
Dope examines the landscape of sport and doping in the modern era, from micro-dosing blood boosters to the rise of drug taking in amateur sport and AI's ability to create undetectable - and potentially dangerous - performance-enhancers. Author James Witts immerses himself in the underbelly of sport, interviewing doping athletes, anti-doping experts, scientists, ethicists, psychiatrists and psychologists to answer:
- What products do the dopers use to boost performance? - What methods do the authorities use to catch the cheats? - How does WADA determine what's legal and illegal? - How does politics impact WADA's work? - What's the evidence these illegal performance-enhancers actually work? - Why are football's indiscretions glossed over while cycling and athletics are lambasted? - What products are used to mask their illegal actions? - Can we really trust that peak sporting performance is down to determination and talent?
This is an eye-opening and enthralling account of modern-day sport - one which will change the way you view it forever.
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A look at the murky world of doping in sport, uncovering how the cheats keep one step ahead of the authorities and what drives them to do so.
James Witts has carved out a career from making science accessible, whether for the broadsheets (Observer), consumer magazines (Cyclist, Rouleur, New Scientist...) or websites (CyclingNews, BBC Focus, Live Science...). He has written three books, published by Bloomsbury - The Science of the Tour de France; Training Secrets of the World's Greatest Footballers; Riding with the Rocketmen - that lifted the lid on elite sporting performance, all in a jargon-free and inviting manner.
I've also written extensively on doping in sport for many years. Publications who I've written for on this subject include: The Observer, Cyclist, CyclingNews, Cycling Plus and Rouleur.
He has appeared regularly on 5Live, TalkSport and many other radio stations and podcasts.
