Genetic information is growing at an exceptional rate, producing new information faster than Moore Law—which predicts that overall processing power doubles every 2 years. We anticipate that the power of genetic testing to predict the likelihood of sports-related injuries sustained by athletes will grow rapidly. This new field of study is exciting; it holds great potential for injury prevention for athletes at every level. It is too early to measure the effect of genetic testing on reducing the incidence of injuries or inducing behavioral changes that will promote health and/or prevent injury. It is clear that there are many genetic polymorphisms that provide information about risk for sports-related injuries and performance-related conditions. Athletes, coaches, and medical practitioners can use this information to generate personalized training regimens for athletes. It is too early, however, to gauge the effectiveness of these personalized regimens at reducing injury incidence compared with standard training. Nevertheless, any additional information about performance might be useful to help reduce injuries and maximize performance among elite athletes, who are typically early adopters of many medical treatments designed to speed recovery from injury and/or reduce pain so that they can return to play as soon as possible.
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