Have you ever heard of the snake oil salesman? This was a vendor that travelled all around selling special concoctions that were supposedly good for curing anything that ailed you from thinning hair to heart attack. But the sales of these potions relied more on the conning ability of the salesman rather than the veracity of the the substance. Today we use the term to denote someone who is selling something that has no scientific basis or proven fact behind it.
Today’s snake oil salesman may just be a company called Atlas Sports Genetics. This company wants to test your baby to discover if he or she will be great at sports that require a burst of speed such as sprinting, or possibly endurance sports such as cross country skiing.
The claim is based somewhat on scientific findings. It looks at the presence of ACTN3, a gene that codes for fast-twitching muscle fiber. According to the claim, the more fast twitching muscle, the more a person can perform those fast bursts of speed. And while having ACTN3 may improve your ability to perform certain tasks, there have got to be so many factors that would determine you success as an athlete. What about body size and type, your level of commitment, your resources and even whether or not you like to play sports?
And if your test comes back indicating that you baby has a lot of fast-twitching muscle fiber, is that going to put undo pressure on him to succeed in sports?
Most parents can tell, I think, if their child is leaning toward a career in athletics. My youngest son is especially physical and could throw a ball, bat a ball, ride a tricycle and balance on one foot at an early age. My older son falls down just walking. While they both enjoy sports to some degree, what they decide to play and when is mostly up to them. And while it is true that a career in athletics can be very profitable, it is just one of the many choices in life that they will have to make.
What do you think? Would you have your baby tested?
Click here for more articles by Mary Ann Romans.
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