DAVID EPSTEIN: “Some saying we need to root this out, and others saying, get over it, we understand it’s happening, quit kind of ruining the fun.”

BOB DOUGHTY: The World Anti-Doping Agency opposes medically-supervised doping. Its medical director, Alain Garnier, has said doctors should have nothing to do with doping. Doctor Garnier says helping athletes perform better is not necessarily good for their health. He says it is wrong to say that permitting doping would create an equal playing field. To accept doping, he says, would let economic resources and scientific expertise decide athletic events. And, he says, only those with the resources and the expertise would win.

Anti-doping officials say they want to protect the integrity of sports by guaranteeing what they call a level playing field. They want to ensure that athletes who do not use banned substances have an equal chance at winning.

FAITH LAPIDUS: David Epstein says some athletes have told him they would give up years of their life if by taking drugs they could become a champion.

DAVID EPSTEIN: “I think some athletes absolutely have said they’re willing to sacrifice their health down the road. I think a lot of them simply don’t think that it will have a long-term effect on their health.”

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FAITH LAPIDUS: This SCIENCE IN THE NEWS was written by Christopher Cruise. June Simms was our producer. I’m Faith Lapidus.