Genetics in sports

Genetics in Sports

It is common knowledge that some of us seem to be able to excel sports much better than most individuals. Chances are we have come across someone who is gifted with marvelous athletic ability who seems to excel at most sports they attempt. Surely it’s because of years of skill development and sporting experience. Or is there something more to it, could our genes take some of the credit? It appears that they can.
The notion that one can have certain characteristics in their genes which have a high correlation with sporting ability has been put-forward by Prof. Angelina Van-Daal and discussed with Dr Robyn Williams during an interview on ABC radio’s “The Science Show”. According to this research certain combinations of genes could indicate whether we are suited to certain sports. In addition it could even help inform people whether they are susceptible to certain health conditions. With cripplingly high obesity rates this could even encourage people to exercise and lose weight.
According to Prof. Van-Daal of Bond University, “Complex characteristics such as one’s talent at sport and competitive ability all have a genetic basis, to varying degrees”. Basically an objective is to create a gene database which acknowledges the genes which coincide with strong sporting ability. This then can be used as reference point for future gene testing. During the interview Prof. Van-Daal stated that it is important to understand that the genetic characteristics concerned are very complex and that there are many genes involved. This is especially due to the fact that sports cover an extremely vast range of skills and most importantly genetic characteristics are multi-factorial. Remember, our bodies have massive amounts of genetic information. In addition the degree to which genetic factors contribute towards success in sports is unknown. Prof. Van-Daal also suggested that if someone was identified to be more likely to gain weight in their middle age; they could moderate their diet to accommodate this. Thus it could be used to inform people about certain health conditions they are predisposed to.

Another key use of genetic testing put forward during the interview was that genetic testing could possibly be used by sports teams to identify a player’s susceptibility to injuries, thus allowing them to assess the risks or benefits involved with the recruitment of a certain player. In my opinion the use of genetic profiling in sports to help improve the general health of the public should be encouraged rather than utilizing it for talent identification.

All in all this is an interesting development in the field of genetics and sports.

Transcript link: http://www.abc.net.au/rn/scienceshow/stories/2006/1801728.htm

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