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Offering genetic analyses in gyms: from the first conversation to the check-in

Reviewed by Dr. Daniel Wallerstorfer, molecular biologist and founder of Novogenia · Updated: 15 October 2026 · Reading time: 10 min

The first three months are a trial period – for your gym

Researchers analyzed the records of 5,240 members of a fitness center in Rio de Janeiro who trained there between 2005 and 2014, and followed each member for up to twelve months. The result is a wake-up call for the whole industry: 63% of new members quit before their third month, and fewer than 4% kept training for more than twelve months without a break. Even members with the most favorable starting conditions had a high risk of dropping out earlier (Sperandei et al., Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 2016).

So the first three months are a trial period – not for your member, but for your gym. The logical conclusion: any offer that creates a personal conversation, a plan of their own and a fixed next appointment in those weeks hits exactly the right spot. A genetic analysis is one such occasion. It gives your member something that belongs to them alone – and gives your trainer a good reason to sit down with them.

How a gym builds longevity packages with substance is covered in the longevity guide under Longevity in the gym. This article is about the craft behind it: what you can offer, how the process runs in your gym, who does what, and which rules apply.

What your gym can offer

At Novogenia, partners offer non-medical analyses, for example on lifestyle, nutrition, beauty and sport. For a gym, three building blocks are a natural fit:

Every gene in a Novogenia analysis is backed by at least three independent studies. Novogenia provides the interpretation and the report; the recommendations derived from it are logical conclusions, not scientifically proven outcomes. What the Performance analysis measures in detail is explained in The performance analysis; the nutrient side is covered in Micronutrients for athletes.

Two things do not belong in your offer: diagnoses and disease risks, which belong in a physician’s hands, and sports nutrition such as protein powder or creatine – Novogenia makes personalized micronutrients, not sports nutrition.

Six steps from first interest to check-in

1. Clarify the goal: in the first consultation or on the gym floor. What does your member want to achieve, and will an analysis help? Anyone with symptoms, on medication or expecting a diagnosis should see a physician first.
2. Inform and obtain consent: what the analysis shows and what it does not, who sees the report, what happens to the data – documented in writing.
3. Saliva sample: at the gym or at home, with a saliva kit for lifestyle analyses, branded with your logo on request. In Switzerland only on site (see below).
4. Lab: 4 days of analysis in the Novogenia lab in Eugendorf near Salzburg, plus shipping. The report arrives digitally in a secure portal, in up to 18 languages.
5. Report session: The trainer translates the tendencies into two or three priorities for the next training block.
6. Check-in: After the block, you measure, compare and adjust – with personalized supplements, ideally in step with the 90-day delivery.

The rule of thumb for every step: the measured response beats the predisposition. How a report turns into a training plan is shown in Personalizing training with genetic data.

Who does what in your gym

A genetics offer rarely fails in the lab, but it often fails because nobody knows who is responsible. So settle these roles before you start:

Your team can prepare with the free NOVO Academy: about 5 hours of video per language, a certificate for each completed topic, available in 7 languages. A dedicated course on athletic performance shows which genes influence athlete type, connective tissue and recovery, and how to use the data for coaching and training plans. What your trainers may say in the conversation is covered in For personal trainers and coaches.

Partner shop, your own brand or your own product

How the models work in detail is described in Nutrigenetics as a service: partner and white-label models. If you want to build your own genetic-test brand, see Building your own genetic-test brand.

Switzerland: your gym needs a health professional at its side

In Germany and Austria, a gym can offer lifestyle analyses itself. Switzerland takes its own path: the Federal Act on Human Genetic Testing (GUMG) explicitly covers genetic analyses outside medicine as well. Analyses on sporting activity and eating behavior count there as particularly sensitive characteristics (Art. 31(1) GUMG, Art. 37(1) GUMV). For your gym, this means:

• Only certain health professionals may order (Art. 34(1) GUMG, Art. 40 GUMV): physicians, pharmacists, psychologists, druggists HF and – for physiological characteristics – nutritionists FH, physiotherapists FH, chiropractors and osteopaths. Fitness trainers are not among them.
• Sample in their presence: The saliva sample is taken in the presence of the ordering professional (Art. 34(3) GUMG). Self-test kits for home use are not allowed for these analyses (Art. 13 GUMG).
• Injury risk is medical: Analyses that provide information on an increased risk of sports injuries count as medical (Art. 37(2) GUMV) and belong in a physician’s hands.
• Lab abroad: Because the Novogenia lab is in Austria, your member’s written consent is required (Art. 36 in conjunction with Art. 29 GUMG). The written information names the lab and gives the contact details of a professional who can answer questions and of the person responsible for data processing (Art. 32 GUMG).
• Advertising with mandatory information: Posters, brochures, advertising via electronic media or an information evening at the gym count as public advertising (Art. 4(3) GUMV). It must inform about the rules on ordering, information and communication of the result – including the ban on such analyses in persons lacking capacity of judgment and before birth – and must not be misleading (Art. 14(3) GUMG, Art. 4(2) GUMV).

One possible model: a physical therapy practice or a nutritionist FH orders the analysis and is at the gym on sample day; your trainers then take over on the gym floor. They see the report only if your member agrees (Art. 7(2) GUMG).

Genetic data do not belong in your member software

Under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), genetic data are a special category of personal data. Processing them is prohibited in principle and allowed, for example, with explicit consent for specified purposes (Art. 9(1) and 9(2)(a)). In Switzerland, genetic data are sensitive personal data, and consent must be given explicitly (Art. 5(c) and Art. 6(7) FADP).

At Novogenia, you decide whether your gym sees its members’ reports. Three rules keep your offer clean:

• The analysis is never a condition for a membership, a plan or a class – otherwise the consent can hardly count as freely given (Art. 7(4) GDPR).
• Results stay out of member management software, check-in systems and group chats.
• Whoever on your team sees reports is named in the consent – and nobody else.

More in Genetic data and the GDPR.

Advertising: spark curiosity, promise nothing

Good advertising for genetic analyses makes people curious and stays honest. Draw these lines clearly:

• Tendencies, not talents: “Find out whether your body responds more to strength or to endurance training” instead of “Discover your sprinter gene”.
• No predictions: no promises about injuries, diseases or guaranteed results, no invented success stories and no testimonials.
• Only authorized claims for supplements: Health claims are only allowed if they are authorized (Art. 10(1) Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006), for example “Magnesium contributes to normal muscle function” – provided the conditions of use are met. “Faster recovery” is not an authorized claim for any micronutrient.
• Athletes subject to doping controls: At Novogenia, every raw material is screened for doping substances, among other tests. Athletes nevertheless remain responsible for everything that enters their body. More in Anti-doping: using supplements safely.

Wording help is in Advertising genetic tests.

Checklist: launching genetic analyses in your gym

• Offer defined: performance, nutrition or weight analysis, optionally personalized supplements.
• Non-medical analyses only; symptoms and questions about disease go to physicians.
• Six-step process written down, responsible team members named.
• Partner model chosen: partner shop, white label or your own product.
• Written consent, including who sees reports; the analysis is not tied to any contract.
• Advertising checked: tendencies instead of talents, no predictions, only authorized claims.
• In Switzerland: a professional under Art. 40 GUMV on board, samples taken in their presence, mandatory information in your advertising.
• Team trained, first check-in after the first training block on the calendar.

Frequently asked questions

Related: Longevity in the gym · The performance analysis: what it measures · Who may offer genetic tests?

Note: This guide is general information for businesses and professionals and does not replace medical or legal advice. The genetic traits determined in a genetic analysis are well documented (each gene included is backed by at least three independent studies); recommendations derived from them are logical conclusions, not scientifically proven. Regulations can change; errors and changes excepted.