With the human genome project, in addition to determining the number, structure and physical maps of our genes which were previously supposed to be between 20-25 thousands, genetic regions affecting athletic performance have also been identified.It has been determined that endurance, athletic ability and musculoskeletal as well as central nervous system (CNS) are effective in succeeding in today’s sporting events and play an important role in performance. Parameters affecting psychological performance such as stress, anxiety, aggression are effective in determining sportive achievements. Determining the genetic predisposition of the athletes in stressful environments or in sports where stress is prominent allows them to be guided by psychologists at an early age and contributes to sporting success. Related to the behavioral characteristics of the athletes, genes leading to resistance to stress, personality traits and aggressive behaviours like 5-HTT, DRD4, DRD5, ADRD1, COMT, BDNF, NRG1, GLUT4 and SLC2A4 and polymorphisms within these genes have been investigated in our review.
