Become a Friend Donate
PETBioNewsNewsGenetic test for sports ability raises concerns in US

BioNews

Genetic test for sports ability raises concerns in US

Published 1 November 2012 posted in News and appears in BioNews 609

Author

Dr Jay Stone

Image by Peter Artymiuk via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts the shadow of a DNA double helix, on a background that shows the fluorescent banding of the output from a DNA sequencing machine.
Image by Peter Artymiuk via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts the shadow of a DNA double helix, on a background that shows the fluorescent banding of the sequencing output from an automated DNA sequencing machine.

A US company has launched a mail order genetic test that claims to provide 'athletes and parents of young sports competitors' with information about the user's athletic strengths, what type of training will be most beneficial, and potential injury risks...

A US company has launched a mail order genetic test that claims to provide 'athletes and parents of young sports competitors' with information about the user's athletic strengths, what type of training will be most beneficial, and potential injury risks.

The 'Sports X Factor' test, produced by American International Biotechnology Services (AIBioTech), allows users to send a cheek swab sample through the post for DNA analysis. It targets a collection of six genes believed to be linked to athletic ability.

'Our main goal with Sports X Factor is to provide an affordable means for athletes and parents to access genetic information for the purpose of making informed decisions about maximising performance', said Bill Miller, chief executive of AIBioTech.

AIBioTech is not the first company to offer this service. Atlas Sports Genetics, based in Colorado, USA, currently charges $169 for customers to have their ACTN3 gene analysed. Research has suggested ACTN3 is linked to muscles that can produce quick bursts of power best suited to sprint sports.

The services AIBioTech are offering have been met with some criticism. 'This is really disturbing', said Professor Lainie Friedman Ross, a paediatrician and bioethicist at the University of Chicago. 'Sports and physical activity should be fun for kids. It shouldn't be, 'You're going to be the world's greatest athlete' or 'Give up now, kid, because you won't have a chance' because of your genes'.

Others have welcomed the news. Bradley Marston of Utah had his 10-year-old daughter, Elizabeth, tested because he was curious to learn more about why she excelled at soccer.

'I already knew she had that something special. This is just a tool to help me determine what to do with her strengths as well as some of her shortcomings', he said. Elizabeth's test indicated her muscles are predisposed to quick spurts of power rather than long endurance trials.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has requested the company assess its DNA analysis services for accuracy and has asked it to provide justification for marketing the product without its authorisation.

In response, Miller said the company is 'pleased to cooperate with the organisation at a time when human genomics is coming to fruition under the FDA umbrella'. He added: 'AIBioTech believes that everyone has a right to their genetic information without a prescription'.

Related Articles

Image by Peter Artymiuk via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts the shadow of a DNA double helix, on a background that shows the fluorescent banding of the output from a DNA sequencing machine.
Image by Peter Artymiuk via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts the shadow of a DNA double helix, on a background that shows the fluorescent banding of the sequencing output from an automated DNA sequencing machine.
News
29 November 2013 • 2 minutes read

23andMe's genetics screening service sold in violation of regulations, says FDA

by Ruth Saunders

The US Food and Drug Administration has ordered 23andMe to 'immediately discontinue' its Personal Genome Service after failing to undergo proper agency approval for its marketing claims...

Image by Peter Artymiuk via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts the shadow of a DNA double helix, on a background that shows the fluorescent banding of the output from a DNA sequencing machine.
Image by Peter Artymiuk via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts the shadow of a DNA double helix, on a background that shows the fluorescent banding of the sequencing output from an automated DNA sequencing machine.
Reviews
15 January 2013 • 4 minutes read

Event Review: Field of Genes - DNA Testing to Find Future Olympic Champions

by Eleanor White

Would you let your 10-year-old child sit out of PE classes if they were not built for sport? Would it inspire you to do better if you found out your genes indicated that you're not likely to succeed at it? Or would it demoralise you to the point that you give up on something you love?...

Image by Peter Artymiuk via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts the shadow of a DNA double helix, on a background that shows the fluorescent banding of the output from a DNA sequencing machine.
Image by Peter Artymiuk via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts the shadow of a DNA double helix, on a background that shows the fluorescent banding of the sequencing output from an automated DNA sequencing machine.
Reviews
15 January 2013 • 3 minutes read

Event Review: Designer Athletes: Fair Play or Foul?

by Luciana Strait

Consider a future world where pharmaceutical and genetic enhancements are the norm for sporting champions, where today's world records are smashed into oblivion...

Image by Peter Artymiuk via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts the shadow of a DNA double helix, on a background that shows the fluorescent banding of the output from a DNA sequencing machine.
Image by Peter Artymiuk via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts the shadow of a DNA double helix, on a background that shows the fluorescent banding of the sequencing output from an automated DNA sequencing machine.
News
13 December 2012 • 2 minutes read

Premier League club tests players' DNA

by Luciana Strait

An unnamed Premier League football club has had DNA tests carried out on its players to determine which of them may be susceptible to injury. The tests were carried out by leading molecular geneticist and assistant professor at Yale University School of Medicine Dr Marios Kambouris, who was told neither the name of the club nor the identities of the players...

Image by Peter Artymiuk via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts the shadow of a DNA double helix, on a background that shows the fluorescent banding of the output from a DNA sequencing machine.
Image by Peter Artymiuk via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts the shadow of a DNA double helix, on a background that shows the fluorescent banding of the sequencing output from an automated DNA sequencing machine.
News
18 November 2010 • 1 minute read

Working together: Is it really in your genes?

by Dr Aarathi Prasad

Researchers at Edinburgh University's department of psychology report that there is a biological mechanism underpinning the loyalty that a person feels to their social group....

Image by Peter Artymiuk via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts the shadow of a DNA double helix, on a background that shows the fluorescent banding of the output from a DNA sequencing machine.
Image by Peter Artymiuk via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts the shadow of a DNA double helix, on a background that shows the fluorescent banding of the sequencing output from an automated DNA sequencing machine.
Comment
22 October 2010 • 2 minutes read

Personal genetic profiling: what's the harm?

by Professor Christopher Hood

Direct-to-consumer personal genetic profiling services marketed as a way to predict people's future health risks may claim to be leading a new era of 'personalised healthcare', but the Nuffield Council on Bioethics believe these claims should be treated with caution...

Image by Peter Artymiuk via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts the shadow of a DNA double helix, on a background that shows the fluorescent banding of the output from a DNA sequencing machine.
Image by Peter Artymiuk via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts the shadow of a DNA double helix, on a background that shows the fluorescent banding of the sequencing output from an automated DNA sequencing machine.
Comment
28 May 2010 • 4 minutes read

Concerns about genetic testing on freshers at Berkeley

by Dr Megan Allyse

The University of California at Berkeley has recently received a great deal of attention for its revised curriculum for incoming first years which will offer students the opportunity to have a DNA sample analyzed for genetic variants...

Image by Peter Artymiuk via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts the shadow of a DNA double helix, on a background that shows the fluorescent banding of the output from a DNA sequencing machine.
Image by Peter Artymiuk via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts the shadow of a DNA double helix, on a background that shows the fluorescent banding of the sequencing output from an automated DNA sequencing machine.
News
5 March 2010 • 2 minutes read

Genetic markers poor at heart disease prediction

by Dr Rachael Panizzo

A genetic risk score based on several genetic markers associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) does not improve the prediction of CVD risk, research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association has suggested...

Image by Peter Artymiuk via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts the shadow of a DNA double helix, on a background that shows the fluorescent banding of the output from a DNA sequencing machine.
Image by Peter Artymiuk via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts the shadow of a DNA double helix, on a background that shows the fluorescent banding of the sequencing output from an automated DNA sequencing machine.
News
9 June 2009 • 2 minutes read

Controversial test to 'determine sporting fate' is released in US market

by Adam Fletcher

A simple genetic screen will help you decide which sport your child is most suited to. That is the claim made by Atlas Sports Genetics (ASG), of Colorado, US, in the launch last week of their new genetic test. Although previously marketed in several other countries, this...

Leave a Reply

«