Dope

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.

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.