Is tTG IgA useful for Sport?

The tTG IgA test is a well-established screening tool for celiac disease, an autoimmune condition triggered by gluten. For athletes, undiagnosed celiac can impair performance through fatigue, iron deficiency, and nutrient malabsorption – in such cases, the test is clinically useful. However, tTG IgA is not a direct biomarker of athletic performance, recovery, or training adaptation. In asymptomatic athletes without risk factors (e.g., family history, other autoimmune conditions), it offers no value for sport-specific screening. Evidence is mixed: strong for celiac diagnosis, weak for general sport use. Caveat: positive results require confirmatory endoscopy; false positives occur, especially in IgA deficiency. For sport purposes, only test if celiac symptoms or risk factors are present.