ABSTRACT
Molecular communication technology involves the use of biosensors that are positioned within the body. The biosensors are programmed to provide feedback on what is happening with respect to bodily functions within specific cells of the body – at the level of the molecules within the cells. These biosensors are currently being developed to harvest data for use in conducting a health diagnosis or to determine, for example, whether to offer the targeted delivery of drugs that can be administered once or repeatedly over time. The food industry is also making use of biosensors for their industry that ensure the safety of food sources. Those in sport will adapt biosensors for use for two key reasons. One is to utilize the data from cells within the human body as a means of identifying when athletes have taken a prohibited drug or utilized a prohibited method. The other is for an athlete to gain performance enhancement advantages. This advantage would be based on the knowledge gained on what is happening in their body at the cell level to generate a pre-programmed response to aid performance during sport competition. Further, it is proposed that there may be a risk that molecular communication will be utilized as a strategy to sabotage a competitor. Multiple questions and issues arise concerning this technology and its potential use in sport.
