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A Sporting Chance
DNA testing
may find the next generation of athletes.
Everyone
knows that athletic success is partly hard work and
partly luck. Some people are stronger or faster than
___1___, but only a select few
have the determination needed to make
it in professional athletics. It is the
combination of personality and
inherent genetic advantages that can make
someone a superstar.
Now, however, DNA testing, which involves
analyzing a person's DNA
to find out facts about their genetic
make-up,
is being used to find ___2___ athletes. Because the human
genetic code helps to define
every aspect of your body—height and
muscle type, as well as hair and eye color—it can give
clues to the sports that you might
___3___.
The science is young, but there are already several
___4___. For example, it is easy to find out if someone
has the ACTN3 gene. This gene has
been linked to the
development of fast-twitch
muscle fibers that help an athlete to
sprint. ___5___, there is a test for PPAR-delta,
which governs the growth
of slow-twitch muscles, important for sports like
weightlifting. Some private companies
are already offering these DNA tests to parents who want
to ___6___ and nurture their
children's special talents.
But is this fair? Perhaps not. Many people say that
the right genes are not enough to create an
illustrious athlete. The
annals
of sports history are full of stars that were not the
best fit for their sports, but became
legends through endless practice and a
gritty determination to win. What we do
know, though, is that in the future, genetic testing
will very likely play a ___7___ role in sports. So if you
want to play, you'd better have the DNA.
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