More Than Human: The Future of Recreational and Performance Enhancing Drugs

Imagine a world where mood swings would be unheard of, where the drone and dull could become charming and vivacious. Where a painful memory could be simply erased or, where instead of forgetting anything one could simply just remember more. Well, this fictional world might not closer than you think. Every year, new and better drugs are arriving on the market that not only treat disease, but enhance our lives as well. The idea that we are not stuck with what god gave us, and that we have the ability to enhance ourselves has taken hold in the psyche of many. We have begun to build better bodies and better minds through medicine, and we're only just beginning. The following is a sneak peak into where we are, and where we might go.

Super Athletes and Performance Enhancers

One of the fastest moving areas of performance enhancing occurs in the sports world. Athletes at the top of their sports are under pressure to be the best in a hugely competitive atmosphere, and many are getting an edge through performance enhancing drugs. Currently there are several ways athletes from different sports enhance their bodies.

Lean Mass Builders:

This includes anabolic steroids and other drugs that drive or amplify the growth of muscle and lean body mass and sometimes reduce body fat. Currently there is great effort taken by the governing bodies of many sports to spot and stop the use of steroids, but in the future science may outpace testing. Many scientists see a future where athletes will be able to manipulate their bodies not with steroids, but at the genetic level. Researchers such as Se-Jin Lee of Johns Hopkins Medical School in Baltimore are developing techniques to manipulate genes that code for the protein myostatin which tells muscles when to stop growing. By manipulating these genes, Lee was able to double the muscle mass of the mice he was working with in 4-6 weeks without increasing their level of exercise.

Stimulants:

Today's athletes use stimulants to help their bodies perform at optimum levels, to increase alertness, decrease fatigue, and possibly to increase aggressiveness. In the future, new classes of stimulants that work more specifically, without side effects could help athletes train longer, harder, and get more out of their bodies than they ever thought possible.

Pain Killers

Pain killers are currently used by athletes to help them perform through injury, but they are also used because they increase blood pressure allowing muscles to better use oxygen. In the future new classes of pain killers will enhance this ability. Futurists like Ray Kurzweil have even envisioned a future where nanotechnology might give athletes the ability to extend their bodies oxygen using abilities to an entirely new level. His theoretical Respirocytes are artificial red blood cells that could one day supplement or replace our bodies normal respiratory system. Kerzweil thinks these theoretical nanobots could store and transport 236 times more oxygen than normal red blood cells. This would allow an adult human to hold their breath underwater for four hours or sprint at top speed for 15 minutes without taking a breath.

Sedatives

Modern athletes in sports like archery or shooting that require steady hands and accurate aim often use sedatives like alcohol, beta blockers, and marijuana, but in the future much more specific sedatives might make it possible for these type athletes to much more specifically control their nerves. Imagine an Olympic diver being able to feel no anxiety before a precision dive, or a figure skater performing for a crowd of millions without worry or concern, this is the future.

Memory Erasing Drugs

A breakthrough discovery in brain functions might allow us to now be able to wipe out previous memories. Thanks to studies done by Yi Zhong at Tsinghua University in Beijing, China, and Cold Harbor Springs Laboratory in New York, the prospect of being able to wipe out memories – both good and bad – is becoming a possible reality. Zhong has discovered that there is an active system in our body that works to erase memories, one completely separate from the system used to create these memories. Because of this, scientists believe it will be possible to develop a drug with the ability to help erase specific long-term memories. -Source Developed with conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder in mind, a drug of this type would have a huge variety of uses, some of which would have serious ethical considerations. Imagine being able to erase an ex-lover, a painful event; imagine if others could use such a drug to erase you're memory of an event they want you to forget...

Mind Enhancing Drugs

When exam time rolls around, do you find yourself wishing for a way to keep your concentration level steady, to help dedicate yourself to the task at hand? Even when school is no longer a factor one sometimes finds themselves wishing they had some sort of boost to help them guide themselves through their jobs or duties. While some suffer from ADD or ADHD, today there are many who do not suffer from these conditions that are utilizing the drugs developed to help treat them. One popular drug in this case is Ritalin. This stimulant, normally used by children who suffer from any sort of hyperactive disorder has now become a highly sought after drug amongst students or professionals in high-stress jobs. Gone are the days of nicotine, caffeine or herbal energy drinks as stimulants, now there are a variety of drugs that can help one out with more than just a simple caffeine boost. Besides Ritalin, prescription amphetamines are also being used for weight loss and extending one’s endurance throughout the day. Adderal, one of the best known of this class of drugs is reaching epidemic level use among college students, so much so that it's come under fire as creating unfair competition for students who do not take the drugs. In 2005 a study was taken showing that the non-medical use of Adderall was as high as 25% at some universities, with some researches saying that the number will only continue to increase.

Use and abuse of drugs like Ritalin and Adderal are just the tip of the iceberg. A wide array of mind enhancing drugs is just on the horizon. Drugs that will enhance memory, allow for superhuman concentration, drugs that can enhance creativity, there are even drugs in development that might eliminate the need for sleep.

Sexual Pleasure Drugs and Implants

The beginning of the sexual enhancement revolution began with the release of Viagra in 1998, giving men who suffered from impotency the opportunity for satisfying sex lives. Now, scientists are looking beyond fixing sexual issues and are exploring ways in which sexuality can be enhanced by medicine. One such breakthrough sexual enhancement would be able to give users sexual pleasure at the push of a button.It is a device known as "The Orgasmatron". Though the name might cause you to break a smile, this small implant consists of two small attachments that connect to the base of your spine that, upon the press of a button, sends an intense feeling of pleasure, almost identical to that of an orgasm. Test subjects have given nothing but positive reviews and creator, Suart Meloy, says that he has put the implant in two men to see if the device is usable in men as well. So far both volunteers have reported positive results including the resolution of previous impotency issues.

Recreational Drugs Without Negative Side Effects

Currently all recreational drugs come with negative side effects. Alcohol is deadly in high enough quantities and it can destroy the liver. Nicotine is addictive and can cause cancer. In the future, recreational drugs will likely become much safer and much less addictive. According to reports, scientists are already working on the development of drugs that will give an alcohol type buzz without a hangover or addictive qualities.

While it is difficult to predict the future of recreational or body enhancing drugs, one thing is for sure, it will happen. The trends mentioned in this article are accelerating, not slowing. It is likely that we will be confronted with a whole host of ethical dilemmas where we will be forced to make hard choices in sport, school, and society.