How does your DNA compare to the world’s greatest athletes?

If you’ve had a chance to take in a stage or two of this year’s Tour de France, maybe you’ve found yourself wondering: is it in their genes? The cyclists—or superhumans!—who take on the Tour deal with extreme climbs and harrowing descents, spanning more than 2,000 miles along routes that include the Alps and Pyrenees mountains. Clearly, there’s some very serious training involved in competitive cycling (or any other professional sport, for that matter).
Of course, the heroics we celebrate in elite sporting events—the climbs, the marathons, the lifted weights, the sprints—would never have been possible without the right training. But beyond training alone, there is also some evidence to suggest that genetics can play a role in athletic performance. Wouldn’t it be interesting to see how your own genes stack up to some of the world’s best athletes?

StartLine by DNAFit is an entertaining way to see how your genes and physical traits compare to over 8,000 athletes across a variety of disciplines, including track and field events, soccer, hockey, tennis, and more. Are you in the average height range among elite weightlifters? How does your PPARG gene compare? StartLine will help you find out!
It’s important to remember that StartLine is just for fun—there are many factors that go into your success as an athlete, and simply having certain gene variants doesn’t mean you’ll be ready to race in the Tour next year. (Likewise, having certain variants doesn’t mean you won’t be ready, either!) But you’ll definitely learn a thing or two, and you’ll have a good time doing it. So figure out your optimal Tour viewing schedule, watch some amazing feats of athleticism, and then have a look at your DNA!