Genetics and Athletics

📖 2 minute Read

Is athletic performance determined by genetics?

^{- MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine}

Surely at some point you’ve seen somebody in sports who is just great in all aspects and many of those people often thank their genetics. But is that all there’s to it? Are you set for failure if you don’t have the best genetics?

The following article looked at genetics and environmental factors in sports performance. Read ahead and find out more!

Some information thats good to know upfront:

Physical characteristics like muscle fiber types, aerobic capacity, muscle mass, height, flexibility, coordination, intellectual ability, and personality all have a genetic basis and affect how athletic someone performs. The Influence of certain genes, including ACTN3 (important for generating explosive and powerful muscle contractions) and ACE (associated with increased muscle function and volume) are also highlighted in the article. Besides Genetics, the Article also underscores the significant role of environment for athletic performance.

Key Findings:

1. Genetic Influence:
   The Article suggest that genetic factors can account for 30 to 80 percent of the differences in traits (e.g. sprinting ability) related to athletic performance among athletes. These traits include muscle fiber composition, strength, endurance, and other physical attributes.

2. ACTN3 and ACE Genes:
   ACTN3 has variants, more common to be found amongst high performing endurance athletes and others associated with strength and speed. The ACE gene may also be an indicator for athletic ability.

3. Environment Factors:
   Athletic performance is not solely dependent on genetics. Factors like family support, coaching, financial circumstances, access to resources and the relative age effect also play a crucial role.
   Now, the relationship between genetics and environment factors is complex. Both influence each other in a way, it’s difficult to isolate their individual contributions to athletic abilities.
   

Here’s what to take away from this:

Summed up, athletic performance is a variously influenced outcome, by both genetics and environmental factors.
Genetics do play a substantial role, but trough training, coaching and a supportive environment anybody can optimize their skills! The important recognization is that the combination of genes and environment ultimately shapes an athletes abilities and that genetics alone don’t necessarily make you a winner.

Read the full study here:
https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/understanding/traits/athleticperformance/

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