ABSTRACT
Sport, or at least regular physical activity, is by evidence-based criteria seen as primary and secondary prevention for illnesses such as cardiovascular diseases. Analysis suggests that benefi ts of regular physical activity outweigh potential health costs.2 So-called pre-participation examinations may reduce the potential health risks for athletes. Because current pre-participation examinations-either mandatory or voluntary-do not consider genomics to contribute to the reduction of those risks, sports medicine can be seen as both an emerging fi eld of application and an area of marked uncertainty. The expectation of scientists worldwide is that in the next decades the world of sport will be confronted with a variety of promises, varying from preventive screening to the genetic selection of talent and the enhancement of athletic performance with gene doping.
