Get Injured Often? It Could Be In Your Genes.

Published March 11, 2015 at 1:40 PM EDT

Are you one of those people who constantly ends up on crutches? Friends say you should be covered in bubble wrap? Well it could be that it’s not your fault. In fact, it could be your genes.

A new review article published in the Journal of Sports Medicine concludes that genetics play a key role in a person’s risk of suffering from sports injuries. That holds true for athletes of all ages and all abilities, from weekend warriors to Olympians.

Stuart Kim,a professor of genetics at Stanford University, is one of the study’s authors. He discusses his research and its implications with Here & Now’s Robin Young.

For people interested in testing their genes for predisposition to injury, Kim recommends buying a genetic test kit from 23andMe. The company forwards the information to the research lab run by Kim at Stanford.

Guest

Stuart Kim, professor of genetics at Stanford University.

For people interested in testing their genes for predisposition to injury, Kim recommends buying a genetic test kit from 23andMe. (Karyn Miller-Medzon)