Athletics and genetics Personal Genetics Education Project (pgEd)
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Transcript of Athletics and genetics Personal Genetics Education Project (pgEd)
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
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?
• 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?