Saturday 17th February [Cairo, Egypt]
DNAFitSIGNS PARTNERSHIP WITH EGYPTIAN OLYMPIC COMMITTEE TO PREPARE EGYPTIAN ATHLETES FOR 2020 TOKYO
Leading UK genetics company DNAFit will help prepare leading Egyptian athletes for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, following a new partnership signed today with the Egyptian Olympic Committee.
The pioneering new relationship will see the EOC incorporate the use of DNAFit’s genetic tests into the individual training and diet plans for all potential Olympic representatives, setting them on a unique pathway to Tokyo 2020. The deal was announced today at the headquarters of the Egyptian Olympic Committee in Cairo, attended by Mr Sharif Al Erian, Secretary General of the EOC and President of the EFMP, alongside EOC Board Member YehiaDebeas.
In the leadup to Tokyo, the patented DNAFit swab testwill be used to analyse genetic information and create an incredibly advanced profile of each individual athlete. This data will be used by the EFMP to work with athletes to create bespoke programmes including personal pre and post-event nutrition, recovery plans and to set individual training focuses.
Thepartnership was launched through an initial agreement with the Federation of Modern Pentathlon (EFMP), who become the first member federation to action the recommendation from the EOC to apply the use of DNAFit’s testing and sports science capabilities.
Mr Sharif Al Erian, Secretary General of the EOC said;
"This is an exciting partnership that will go a long way to ensuring our athletes have the best possible preparation for future competitions and the upcoming 2020 Tokyo Olympics. We are delighted that the Egyptian Federation of Modern Pentathlon has embraced the potential of genetics, and urge other member federations to explore for themselves.”
AviLasarow, CEO of DNAFit said:
“It is a proud day to be endorsed by the Egyptian Olympic Committee today, and we very much look forward to working with their elite athletes to prepare them for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. It is further evidence of Egypt’s proactive attitude in adopting the most pioneering approaches to sports science, and we are excited to continue on our journey together.”
Moustafa Ali, Head of DNAFit Egypt said:
“We are delighted that theEgyptian Federation of Modern Pentathlonwill be our first confirmed partner with the EOC, and look forward to following suit soon with all of the member federations. These are exciting times for Egyptian sport, and we are delighted to be using our knowledge and insight at DNAFit to make Egypt the best prepared nation at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.”
The partnership extends DNAFit’s relationships in the country, following the announcement of their extended partnership with the Egyptian national football team (EFA). DNAFit will work with the sports science department to integrate insight from DNA tests of all players in the lead up to the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.
The news comes just days after DNAFit was featured on the shortlist for the upcoming and prestigious BT Sports Industry Awards, nominated in the “Performance Technology of the Year” category. The shortlisting comes on the back of another year of pioneering research and innovation that meets the growing demand for hyper-personalised genetic training and nutrition solutions, both for the elite sportsperson and everyday consumer.
British Ambassador to Cairo John Casson said: “Egyptians players in the Premier League have made 100m Egyptians proud, and shown that UK-Egypt partnership in sport can smash the global competition. It is brilliant news for both countries that a British company with cutting edge science, is going to take Egypt’s performance to the next level at the 2018 World Cup in Russia and the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.
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For more information about DNAFit, and their relationship with the EMFP, please contact / 078162 79101
Notes to Editors:
About DNAFit:
DNAFit is a UK based genetics company that reports on genetic markers related to fitness and nutrition.
“Since we began in 2013, we’ve taken cutting edge science out of the laboratory and into the hands of tens of thousands of people, helping them understand how their DNA affects their response to exercise and nutrition changes, to change the way we train and eat, one DNA sample at a time.”
DNAFit adheres to a strict code of practice, which can be viewed here:
Key DNAFit Studies:
- Exercise Geneticcs: Seeking Clarity from Noise
Authors: Craig Pickering, John Kiely - *The DNAFit study is ‘A genetic-based algorithm for personalized resistance training’ by Jones N, Kiely J, Suraci B, Collins DJ, de Lorenzo D, Pickering C, Grimaldi KA. Biol Sport. 2016;33(2):117-126 and can be downloaded in full here.
- “A genetic-based algorithm for recovery: A pilot study”
In this pilot study, 18 male soccer players underwent a repeated sprint training session. Countermovement jump (CMJ) heights were recorded immediately pre- and post-training, and at 24- and 48-hours post-training. The reduction in CMJ height was greatest at all post-training time points in subjects with a larger number of gene variants associated with a reduced exercise recovery.
The full study can be read here:
The study was compiled by: (1st) Craig Pickering, DNAFit Life Sciences Ltd,(2nd) John Kiely, University of Central Lancashire, (3rd) Bruce Suraci, University of Portsmouth, (4th) Jake Watson, University of Portsmouth - Caffeine Study
In August, Craig Pickering, Head of Sports Science, DNAFit, published a paper exploring the validity of the existing guidelines surrounding caffeince consumption within sport.
You can read the paper here: