Genetic Profile for Talent Identification and Direction in Sport

Background: Talent identification (TI) in sport has been perceived as a valuable phase in any long-term sport program aimed at developing elite athletes. Its purpose is the earliest possible selection of auspicious athletes for systematically maximizing their potential. Traditionally, TI programs have been based on certain criteria measurements, designed to reflect key skills that project the potential of a young person on his/her athletic performance in adulthood. Although these measurements are popular in early phases of TI, their use in terms of prediction of future success is questionable. Therefore, there is a need to ascertain additional tools, taking into account the athletes genetic endowment. These tools may contribute to an efficacious TI.

Aim: The aim of the current study was to characterize athletes’ polygenetic scores, and to evaluate whether this score can be used as an additional tool in talent identification and direction.

Methods: Eighty-two power-speed athletes, 87 endurance athletes, and 119 nonathletic controls participated in the study. Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood. Specific genetic score based on selected genetic variants were calculated.

Results and Discussion: Our results suggest that polygenetic scores can differentiate power-speed from endurance athletes, and may play a role in athletic specialization, meaning that there may be a specific genetic makeup enabling an athlete to excel in speed-oriented events (sprints), rather than in strength-oriented events (weightlifting). Whether these scores may be used to identify elite power-speed or endurance athletes’ needs to be addressed in future studies.