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Can genes predict athletic performance?

Scientific American - Posted: December 1st, 2008, 6:30pm EST

pWhat if sideline rage could be nipped in the bud with a quick genetic test that told Mom and Dad what sports ndash; if any ndash; Junior could master? The Boulder, Colo., company Atlas Sports Genetics today began selling just that sort of product: for $149, it says it will screen for variants of the gene ACTN3, which in elite-level athletes is associated with the presence of the muscle protein alpha-actinin-3. The protein helps muscles contract powerfully at high speeds, which may explain why the combination of ACTN3 variants that produce it has been found in Olympic sprinters. a href=http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=genes-sports-talent[More]/a

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