Researchers are beginning to understand how DNA makes some athletes more likely to get hurt. Injury is a fact of life for most athletes, but some professionalsand some weekend warriors, for that matterjust seem more injury-prone than others. But what is it about their bodies that makes the bones, tendons, and ligaments so much more likely to tear or strainbad luck, or just poor preparation? A growing body of research suggests another answer: that genetic makeup may play an important role in injury risk. A review article recently published in the Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine emphasizes that research on the genetics of sports injuries holds great potential for injury prevention for athletes at every level. The authors, from Stanford Universitys department of developmental biology and genetics, believe that genetic testing also gives athletes valuable information that might increase their competitive edge. Stuart Kim, one of the studys authors and a professor of genetics at Stanford, says his interest in sports injuries began almost by accident. I initially intended to study the genes associated with the large size of NFL lineman, but the athletes werent really interested in finding out the genetic reasons why they were so big, Kim says. … Continue reading →