This is the first book to examine the profound ethical issues raised by the use of genetic technologies in sports, asking whether sporting authorities can, or even should, protect sport from genetic modification.

A world-class collection of writers from the very top of their fields, both from the academic and the sports administration communities This is a subject that is set to provoke much debate in the world of sport, and in bio-ethics more generally This is the first book to analyze the gender specific questions that arise from GM sport

This book represents a bold statement concerning the excitement and energy of the field of sports ethics and philosophy in contemporary terms. It is comprised of a collection of commissioned essays from the leading international scholars in the field to celebrate the ten year editorship of Mike McNamee for the journal: Sport, Ethics and Philosophy. The collection includes essays familiar sport philosophers on work about the nature and nuances of sports and games playing, winning and losing, role models and strategic fouling. It also celebrates in phenomenological terms the complex and heterogeneous experience and values of sports in both phenomenological and analytic modes. Finally, it addresses the most serious threats to sport integrity and governance, in the shape of doping, and the unchecked power of sports institutions, and the charisma of sport that is at the mercy of commercialism. This book was originally published as a special issue of Sport, Ethics and Philosophy.

This second edition of Genetics and Sports expands on topics previously discussed in an attempt to create an integrated and holistic understanding of the field of sports genomics. It is an update on technologies and on the role of genetics in training, performance, injury, and other exercise-related phenotypes. Ethical concerns and the importance of counselling before and after genetic testing are also addressed. It is increasingly important to understand the field of genetics and sports because of the potential to use and misuse information. All exercise scientists, sport and exercise clinicians, athletes, and coaches need to be adequately informed to ensure that genetic information is accurately and properly used. Genetics and Sports is, therefore, highly recommended to all of these groups.

The New York Times bestseller – with a new afterword about early specialization in youth sports – from the author of Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World. The debate is as old as physical competition. Are stars like Usain Bolt, Michael Phelps, and Serena Williams genetic freaks put on Earth to dominate their respective sports? Or are they simply normal people who overcame their biological limits through sheer force of will and obsessive training? In this controversial and engaging exploration of athletic success and the so-called 10,000-hour rule, David Epstein tackles the great nature vs. nurture debate and traces how far science has come in solving it. Through on-the-ground reporting from below the equator and above the Arctic Circle, revealing conversations with leading scientists and Olympic champions, and interviews with athletes who have rare genetic mutations or physical traits, Epstein forces us to rethink the very nature of athleticism.

Breakthroughs in genetics present us with a promise and a predicament. The promise is that we will soon be able to treat and prevent a host of debilitating diseases. The predicament is that our newfound genetic knowledge may enable us to manipulate our nature—to enhance our genetic traits and those of our children. Although most people find at least some forms of genetic engineering disquieting, it is not easy to articulate why. What is wrong with re-engineering our nature? The Case against Perfection explores these and other moral quandaries connected with the quest to perfect ourselves and our children. Michael Sandel argues that the pursuit of perfection is flawed for reasons that go beyond safety and fairness. The drive to enhance human nature through genetic technologies is objectionable because it represents a bid for mastery and dominion that fails to appreciate the gifted character of human powers and achievements. Carrying us beyond familiar terms of political discourse, this book contends that the genetic revolution will change the way philosophers discuss ethics and will force spiritual questions back onto the political agenda. In order to grapple with the ethics of enhancement, we need to confront questions largely lost from view in the modern world. Since these questions verge on theology, modern philosophers and political theorists tend to shrink from them. But our new powers of biotechnology make these questions unavoidable. Addressing them is the task of this book, by one of America’s preeminent moral and political thinkers.

Sport psychological training, an important part of athletes’ preparation, can give them the final edge in competition. This book provides a systematic structure for conducting sport psychological interventions that can be followed not only by sport psychologists, but also by athletes and coaches. The authors describe sport psychological measures that are based on scientific knowledge and have proven to be valuable in their applied work. The book is divided into two main parts. Part 1 presents the basic structure for sport psychological interventions and Part 2 focuses on concrete interventions and training measures. Part 1 further addresses the importance of personality factors for sports performance, illustrates how an athlete’s personality development can be enhanced, gives basic knowledge about diagnostic tools, and discusses talent selection. The second part of the book describes basic training, which focuses mainly on relaxation techniques, as well as skills training, essential for the stabilisation of athletic performance. Maintaining a balanced recovery-stress state is particularly important for the avoidance of overtraining. The book illustrates how athletes’ stress and recovery levels can be monitored in order to prevent overtraining. Part 2 further addresses how critical situations in an athlete’s career (including, for example, conflicts, career termination, and injuries) are to be handled, presenting various impact interventions, including clinical hypnosis. The final chapter of the book presents a mental toolbox, giving the practitioner an overview that will help to quickly identify a problem, its possible causes, and solutions.