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Jacki Meinhardt

How Genetics Influence Athletic Ability


What determines athletic ability? And what are the limits of human sports performance? There was a time when no one thought a human could run a four-minute mile, but in 1954, Roger Bannister did just that, and soon, many others followed (1).


Today, thousands of athletes complete ultra-marathons, Ironman Triathlons, and 24-hour races, and athletic records are routinely met and surpassed. Is there any limit? What factors limit human performance in sports?

Many physiologists agree that some of these factors include nutrition, motivation, environment, and advances in equipment (running shoes, swimsuits, skis, bicycles) that allow for dramatic improvements in athletic performance.

But after you account for these environmental advances, many physiologists believe that sports performance limits may have to do with our genetics, specifically the genes regulating our cardiovascular endurance and muscle fiber type (2).

The Shaping Role of Genetics

Genetics shape us in many ways, including our potential to excel in sports. Training, diet, and other factors play a prominent role in developing our potential, but our genes may also limit performance.


You may have the genetic potential for being a champion athlete, but if you live a lifestyle of overeating and no exercise, you are unlikely to achieve that potential.


On the other hand, someone with limited genetic potential can find ways to compensate and become a solid performer.


Genetics have a considerable influence over strength, muscle size, and muscle fiber composition (fast or slow-twitch), anaerobic threshold (AT), lung capacity, flexibility, and, to some extent, endurance.


One major limitation for endurance athletes is cardiac capacity, or the heart’s ability to deliver enough oxygen (via the bloodstream) to the working skeletal muscles. This, too, is primarily determined by genetics (3).


The other limitation for endurance athletes is the ability of muscle tissue to effectively use oxygen and create ATP (adenosine triphosphate), the fuel that allows muscular contraction and movement. The efficiency of this process is measured by VO2 max (maximum volume of oxygen).


How Genetics Influence an Athlete's Response to Training

Your genes may also determine how your body responds to training, diet, and other external factors. Research on aerobic endurance shows that some people respond more to training than others (4).


So even if you have a low genetic potential for endurance, you may respond well to training and develop your potential more completely than someone with inborn 'talent' who doesn't respond to training.


Training also increases cardiac efficiency, but the extent of this increase may depend upon genetics. Genetically gifted athletes will have a much greater response to training and significantly increase cell mitochondria. (The mitochondria are organelles in cells that produce the ATP, so the more mitochondria a person has, the more efficient they are.)


Other Factors That Affect Athletic Ability

Genetics appear to have less influence over characteristics such as balance, agility, reaction time, and accuracy. Many of these skills can be greatly improved with the proper training.



Sports Nutrition

An athlete's diet and nutrition plan have an enormous effect on their athletic performance (5). Nowhere is this more evident than when an elite athlete "bonks" or "hits the wall" during an event.


Bonking is generally a result of glycogen depletion, dehydration, or a combination. Athletes can avoid this by training the body to burn fat when glycogen stores decrease and continually supply the working muscles with energy during an event.


Mental Skills Training

Practicing mental skills training such as imagery, visualization, and learning techniques for dealing with performance anxiety are skills that any athlete can learn to master with practice.


These techniques and learning the tactics and strategies of the sport, using proper equipment, and avoiding injuries are all critical factors in sports success that have very little to do with genetics.


Although many elite athletes are blessed with the right genetics for their sport and a great training routine, even recreational athletes can make the most of their abilities with optimal conditioning, good nutrition, and a positive mental attitude.


To learn more about genetics and how to maximize your potential, join my mailing list to be the first to hear about this exciting, life-changing opportunity.



References:


  1. Taylor B. What Breaking the 4-Minute Mile Taught Us About the Limits of Conventional Thinking. Harv Bus Rev. 2018.

  2. Mattsson CM, Wheeler MT, Waggott D, Caleshu C, Ashley EA. Sports genetics moving forward: lessons learned from medical research. Physiol Genomics. 2016;48(3):175-182. doi:10.1152/physiolgenomics.00109.2015

  3. Joyner MJ. Genetic Approaches for Sports Performance: How Far Away Are We? Sports Med. 2019;49(Suppl 2):199-204. doi:10.1007/s40279-019-01164-z

  4. Joyner MJ. Exercise and trainability: contexts and consequences. J Physiol (Lond). 2017;595(11):3239-3240. doi:10.1113/JP274031

  5. Beck KL, Thomson JS, Swift RJ, von Hurst PR. Role of nutrition in performance enhancement and postexercise recovery. Open Access J Sports Med. 2015;6:259-267. doi:10.2147/OAJSM.S33605




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