DNA test to know your child’s athletic strengths

Boulder, Colorado, December 1: Genetic testing of kids could hold vital clues on hidden athletic capabilities and aptitude, A latest report has claimed.

According to the recent research, DNA test seems to be a determining factor in knowing your child’s strengths for a particular “Sports” gene.

Based on the results of $149.00 test, anxious parents the world over could now heave sigh of relief by finding a child’s sports niche and helping him get the right training to see him sail through the competitive world in flying colors.

The genetic test is being offered by Atlas Sports Genetics. Based in Boulder, the company is cashing in on the aspirations or the obsessions of curious U.S. parents focused on sporting excellence in their kids. So, now you can know whether your child has a natural inclination towards speed and power sports, such as football or sprinting, or long-distance running or a combination of the two.

With this test in offering, parents seem to be eager to predict which sport suits the talents of their children. Donna Campiglia, a parent of a 2-year-old boy aired her views saying, “Where can I get it, and how much does it cost?” She felt it would also result in less frustration for parents obsessed with their kids’ future. “I think it would prevent a lot of parental frustration,” she opined.

As per the information on the company’s website, the presence or absence of different variants provide an exact answer regarding a child’s latent talent. “Finding any great Olympic athlete normally takes years to determine,” the Atlas Sports Genetics website states. “What if we knew a part of the answer when we were born? Knowing what a person is born with can ensure they develop into the best athlete they can be.”

The ACTN3 test has been available since 2004 through Australia’s Genetic Technologies. It is performed on DNA collected for analysis of ACTN3 by swabbing the inside of a child’s cheek.

No doubt, it has its own set of limitations, admit the executives of Atlas. However, they reaffirm that it could be crucial in providing guidelines for right placements of kids in sports arena. The company aims to test the athletic abilities of children from infancy to 8 years old.

A few baseball organizations have already begun to use these tests to evaluate the abilities of their players. “We want to know if these people we're paying millions are, in fact, baseball players,” Theo Epstein commented.

However, there are a few others who are not convinced with the results of these tests. Carl Foster, director of the human performance laboratory at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, feels there could be a better way to know the athletic abilities of one’s child. “Just line them up with their classmates for a race, and see which ones are the fastest.”