Athletics and genetics

Personal Genetics Education Project (pgEd)Harvard Medical School - Wu Laboratory

www.pged.org

Do Now Answer the following questions:

Do you wish your parents had genetically tested you as a child to see if there is a certain sport at which you might excel or to see if you might have a special gift for music? Why or why not?

What could be a benefit and what could be a disadvantage to having genetic analysis of this sort performed at an early age?

www.nytimes.com/2008/11/30/sports/30genetics.html

What can a genetic test for “sports ability” tell us?

How do genetic testing and athletics intersect?

• Genetic testing is being used to predict injury risk and to detect medical conditions with the aim of preventing harm to athletes

• Companies offer testing to help parents and children use genetics as part of the puzzle in deciding what sport to pursue.

• The role of genetic testing in sports presents a number of personal and societal questions in need of attention.

CARDIOMYOPATHY

SICKLE CELL TRAIT

How do we decide to screen for conditions

that may put an athlete’s health at risk?

How common or risky does a trait need to be

before we screen everyone?

Source: American Heart Association

• A common version of ACTN3, the so-called “speed” gene, has been linked to sprinting ability. Most elite sprinters have at least one copy of this version.

• Preliminary studies have linked a common version of the APOE gene, called APOE4, to increased risk of severe effects from a concussion.

• On-going research is exploring link between variants in collagen-producing genes, including COL5A1 and COL5A2, and increased risk of Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) tears.

Genes linked to athletic performance and injury risk

Direct-to-consumer genetic testing for sports

www.athleticode.com

Image via nhl.com

Image via NYT/Chang W. Lee

Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

What leads to excellence in sports:Genes? Environment?

Training? Drive?

http://azstarnet.com/gallery/sports/college/wildcats/photos-softball-pitcher-jennie-finch/collection

Why can US Olympian Jenny Finch strike out top Major League Baseball players with a much slower

pitch than they typically hit?

Photo: Matt Dunham AP

Photo via www.michaelphelps.net

• The gene, ACTN3, produces a protein that helps fast-twitch muscle fibers to contract.

• There is a version of ACTN3 that has been linked to sprinting ability.

• ~95% of elite sprinters have at least one copy of this version of the gene.

• ~80% of people in the general population also have at least one copy of this version.

The ACTN3 gene and its link to speed

Discussion questions:

• How effective might genetic analysis be in predicting athletic performance?

• Should genetic analysis be used to screen athletes for health conditions? Why or why not?

• From a scientific perspective, what are the most important facts when examining the link between

athletic performance and genetics?

• What should a family consider when a child is thinking about playing a contact sport? How can

genetic information both illuminate and complicate how parents decide what is right for their children?