Enhanced Games releases PED usage data

Enhanced Games released aggregate substance-usage data on May 23, a day before its inaugural competition in Las Vegas, disclosing how widely athletes in its medical program used drugs that are banned in most elite sport. SwimSwam first reported the figures on Friday, citing data released by the company ahead of the May 24 event at Resorts World Las Vegas. (swimswam.com) The company said 91% of athletes in the trial used testosterone, 79% used human growth hormone and 62% used stimulants during what it described as a 12-week trial period. (swimswam.com) Enhanced said the study had been posted to ClinicalTrials.gov and was approved by an Institutional Review Board, framing the program as medically supervised. (enhanced.com) The release adds a new layer of detail to an event that has drawn criticism from anti-doping bodies because it explicitly allows performance-enhancing substances. The inaugural meet is scheduled for Sunday, May 24, in a purpose-built venue at Resorts World, with swimming, athletics and weightlifting events and prize money for record-breaking performances. (swimswam.com) ### How many athletes were covered by the released data? Enhanced said 36 of the 42 athletes competing were part of the clinical trial that produced the aggregate totals. The company also said two of those 36 athletes were competing naturally, while six athletes did not participate in the study and two of those six were also competing naturally. (swimswam.com) SwimSwam reported the same usage figures on May 23 and said the data came from materials released by the company before competition. The outlet said the study description allowed for a treatment period of up to 25 weeks and a five-year follow-up period for health monitoring. (enhanced.com) ### What substances did the company say athletes used? The headline figure was testosterone at 91%, followed by human growth hormone at 79% and stimulants at 62%, according to the company’s released totals. Enhanced described the substances as part of individualized protocols in its medical program. (ayondo.com) Las Vegas Weekly reported ahead of the meet that athletes in the event are allowed, and in some cases encouraged, to use substances such as testosterone, anabolic steroids, peptide hormones, growth factors, hormone and metabolic modulators and stimulants. That framework is central to the event’s pitch as an alternative to conventional anti-doping rules. (swimswam.com) ### What is Enhanced saying about oversight and safety? Enhanced said on May 20 that its clinical study had Institutional Review Board approval and that athletes in the program remained “healthy & safe to compete,” according to a PR Newswire release. The company said the study was part of its Enhanced Medical Program, under which athletes could consider FDA-approved substances prescribed by doctors. (swimswam.com) The company said it would comment further at a May 23 press conference before roughly 200 credentialed media from 20 countries. Enhanced has presented the event as a regulated competition built around medical supervision rather than anti-doping enforcement. (lasvegasweekly.com) ### Who is criticizing the event? USADA chief executive Travis Tygart called the Enhanced Games a “dangerous clown show,” according to reports published on May 22. The World Anti-Doping Agency said last year that it condemned the concept as “dangerous and irresponsible.” (prnewswire.com) The criticism has centered on athlete welfare and the normalization of drug use in competition. WADA said the model put health and the integrity of sport at risk, while USADA warned of serious health consequences for athletes. (ayondo.com) ### What happens next in Las Vegas? The inaugural Enhanced Games are scheduled for May 24 at Resorts World Las Vegas, with a reported start time of 8:30 p.m. EDT, or 5:30 p.m. local time. Yahoo Sports said the meet will be staged in a 2,500-seat arena and will feature swimming, track and weightlifting. (prnewswire.com) (wada-ama.org) (msn.com)