Posts Tagged ‘genetics’

Were You Born to Run?

We already know Jeanne’s answer to that question, but a lab in Boulder, Colorado, claims a child’s genetic disposition to certain types of athletic performance can be determined from a cheek swab.

Others are skeptical of the claim, especially since the Boulder lab charges $125 for a $22 test.

“There may be lots of genetic and environmental reasons that we don’t understand that say this person is going to be a world-class soccer player, despite what this one test tells you,” said Dr. Susan Hayflick, a geneticist at Oregon Health & Science University.

I’m pretty sure I wasn’t genetically preordained to be a distance runner, though I think in some cases the test might provide some parents with useful information.