Custom built hearts

[JamesJohnson]

Is this the future of performance enhancement?

http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2013-11/21/3d-printed-whole-heart

Stroke volume plays a huge role in oxygen delivery to working muscles. What if the above concept was abused to rebuild an athletes heart just a few percent larger? VO2 mutants?

 

[Afrank]

I acknowledge there are people willing to go to great lengths to improve their performance no matter the cost. But having your actual heart replaced? I imagine anyone willing to do that must be even greedier and more driven to win, literally, at all and any cost then Armstrong.

Would probably be difficult to find doctors willing to do it as well.

 

[Almeisan]

I am not that old. Pretty sure I want and can get such a heart if the timetable of that article is right.

And why put an inferior heart in your chest?

In the far future average day humans will outperform elite athletes on a daily basis, if no doping is allowed.

 

[jens_attacks]

I acknowledge there are people willing to go to great lengths to improve their performance no matter the cost. But having your actual heart replaced? I imagine anyone willing to do that must be even greedier and more driven to win, literally, at all and any cost then Armstrong.

Would probably be difficult to find doctors willing to do it as well.

another Afrank sometimes in the 70's:

"I acknowledge there are people willing to go to great lengths to improve their performance no matter the cost. But having actually animals blood running through your veins?"


in 30 years we'll talk about epo as a soft, not so game changing weapon that's for sure. just like we talk now about la bomba, even if then it was massive.

the only question is if we'll live the day when alpe d'huez will be ridden at 30 kmph average
because it will happen

 

[MarkvW]

Pretty soon humans will be able to redesign themselves by replacing inferior "natural" organs with superior artificial organs. Such an "upgrade" would be a perfectly reasonable choice for any person. It would be stupid to exclude people who make that choice from sport.

It seems inevitable that there is going to be a special catgory of racing forthe bionic riders of the future. That'll be fun to watch!

 

[jens_attacks]

when a guy with fresh legs(actually new, bought legs) will make an attack on tourmalet at 70 km per hour uphill on a 8% section, it will make riis on hautacam look like a 70 year cyclotourist

man, i'd love to see that thing. looking at how things are, probably his name will be christopher froome

 

[neineinei]

Some day cycling will get its constructors trophy too.

 

[hrotha]

Ripping off your own heart to race faster... Granted, Froome already looks like a frickin' lich, but still.

 

[IndianCyclist]

too much risk of death for any rider to do that without any guarantee of success

 

[proffate]

too much risk of death for any rider to do that without any guarantee of success

House burglars risk death any time they enter a home that could very well have an armed and trigger-happy owner within, and that's for much less reward. Just because you personally value your skin more than money or results, don't assume that applies to everyone.

 

[Afrank]

another Afrank sometimes in the 70's:

"I acknowledge there are people willing to go to great lengths to improve their performance no matter the cost. But having actually animals blood running through your veins?"


in 30 years we'll talk about epo as a soft, not so game changing weapon that's for sure. just like we talk now about la bomba, even if then it was massive.

the only question is if we'll live the day when alpe d'huez will be ridden at 30 kmph average
because it will happen

Injecting animal blood into yourself is one thing, that's essentially a blood transfusion which cyclists have been using for ages. But what we're talking about is going into surgery, having your heart taken out, and another one put in. A risky and I would assume potentially fatal operation if not done correctly. Plus there would be no guarantee it would actually do anything for performance.

Sure, in maybe 10 or 20 years down the line something like this might seem like no big deal. But I personally don't see it happening anytime in the near future.

 

[MarkvW]

Injecting animal blood into yourself is one thing, that's essentially a blood transfusion which cyclists have been using for ages. But what we're talking about is going into surgery, having your heart taken out, and another one put in. A risky and I would assume potentially fatal operation if not done correctly. Plus there would be no guarantee it would actually do anything for performance.

Sure, in maybe 10 or 20 years down the line something like this might seem like no big deal. But I personally don't see it happening anytime in the near future.

I also imagine gene therapy which can restructure (for the better) all muscles in the body. Nothing wrong with that, and sporting ethics are going to have to catch up.

 

[Zam_Olyas]

another Afrank sometimes in the 70's:

"I acknowledge there are people willing to go to great lengths to improve their performance no matter the cost. But having actually animals blood running through your veins?"


in 30 years we'll talk about epo as a soft, not so game changing weapon that's for sure. just like we talk now about la bomba, even if then it was massive.

the only question is if we'll live the day when alpe d'huez will be ridden at 30 kmph average
because it will happen

Injecting with tiger blood is good for the libido and makes you become a great kung fu master.

 

[ebandit]

swap

right i'm swapping mine with spartacus

............then see how fast he goes

Mark L

 

[JamesJohnson]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Veth_59-knE

Futurescape episode 3

Nanobots in your blood, eternal life, a cooling glove which apparently doubles endurance performance capacity, gene manipulation, printing new body parts and more! Fascinating stuff!

 

[robow7]

eh, mere marginal gains.

 

[doperhopper]

Some day cycling will get its constructors trophy too.[/QUOTE

after the popular doctors' cup introduced in 1990

 

[GuyIncognito]

I acknowledge there are people willing to go to great lengths to improve their performance no matter the cost. But having your actual heart replaced? I imagine anyone willing to do that must be even greedier and more driven to win, literally, at all and any cost then Armstrong.

Don't be silly, Armstrong doesn't have a heart