Sports Stars May Have It In The Genes

It takes more than hard work to become a sports star; researchers think it also takes good genes.

The say heredity gives some people an edge. They are now trying to pinpoint the genes involved.

Researcher Claude Bouchard at Laval University in Quebec is comparing genetic material from gifted endurance athletes with the genes of more average ones.

What he learns might do more than spot the potential superstars. It could lead ordinary athletes into the sport that’s best for them.

If only a few genes are major factors, then only people with those genes would have the potential for greatness, Bouchard said. But if a lot of genes influence athletics, then more people could try for stardom, “because if you don’t have one, you might have another,” he said.

In one study, Bouchard and his colleagues took samples from 765 members of 150 families. All started out of shape, and underwent 20 weeks of aerobic training in a laboratory. The researchers are now hunting for the genetic characteristics that separate those who did well in the lab from those who did poorly.

Other researchers have found that 60 to 70 percent of the variation in the ability to benefit from training may be inherited.