A pragmatic approach to genetic testing in elite sport – are we there yet? Comment on McAuley et al.

Abstract

The use of genetic testing within sport is a hotly debated topic, with concerns around utility, validity, and the ethical use of any collected data. Whilst the general scientific consensus is that genetic testing has no utility within sport, research suggests around 10% of athletes have undertaken a genetic test—and more would be willing to do so. This highlights the need for a pragmatic approach to the use—or otherwise—of genetic testing in sport, with a recent article seeking to develop a framework for its use. However, there are still many unanswered and unexplored aspects around the use of genetic information in elite sport, including whether it is truly necessary and whether athletes can be adequately protected from misuse of their genetic data.