Harnessing the Power of Genetics to Boost Performance

I recently watched a really interesting webinar run by Premier International on the link between your genetic makeup and sport performance. It was hosted by Craig Pickering, the ex-Olympian sprinter who competed in World Championships and an Olympic Games before a back injury forced him out of Athletics. He then decided to enter the Olympic Bobsleigh team before unfortunately suffering another injury, resulting in early retirement. Now working as the Head of Sports Science at DNAFit, he believes that if he had understood his genetic makeup at the start of his sporting career it would have helped him with his training and could have prevented his serious injuries.

The webinar gives a good background into what DNA is and how it’s structured. Using 3 main gene types, research was conducted to see how your genes could determine the efficiency and success rate of your physical performance. It is understood that your genetic makeup is 50% down to your genes and 50% down to your environment. Through understanding your genes (via the DNAFit test) can modify your environment to help increase the efficiency of your training programme.

One test conducted in the research used 2 groups of elite athletes — sprinters and endurance athletes. Research suggests that elite athletes who rely on the power of fast-twitch muscle fibres in their muscles, share a common genotype. These fibres contain a protein produced by the RR version of the ACTN3 gene (associated with power-based activity). Endurance athletes, in comparison, have genes that include the XX version of the ACTN3 gene, which is primarily associated with muscular endurance-based activity. If an endurance athlete has more Type 2 twitch fibres then these are not ideal for their performance in endurance-based activity, since these muscle fibres fatigue easily and they’re also quite bulky. The more an endurance athlete has of these Type 2 fibres the more dead weight they are carrying and therefore their overall performance could be dramatically affected.

This is just one example of how understanding your genes can improve your physical performance. Other outcomes of a DNAFit test will determine:

— VO2 max response — high/medium/low response to aerobic training depending on the version of gene you have.

— Injury risk — genes linked to collagen found in your tendons and ligaments and how these play a role in helping prevent tendon and ligament-related injuries.

— Recovery speed — your genes can identify how quickly your body can recover from physical activity.

— Recommended micronutrient dosage — helping identify how well your body absorbs, or is deficient in, vital micronutrients.

The DNAFit test also looks at your diet and helps to determine the genetically-matched diet that is best for you. The type of gene you have will indicate how your body responds to various diets. For example, this could be the reason why some clients have difficulty losing weight on a weight-loss programme like a low-carb diet. The test will help identify:

— Your ideal diet type

— Carbohydrate sensitivity

— Saturated fat sensitivity

— Salt, alcohol and caffeine sensitivity and your caffeine metabolism

— Lactose intolerance and coeliac predisposition

The test prices range depending on what type information you want to retrieve from the results. I’m very tempted to try it as I’m interested in the idea of exploring my natural ability and tailoring my training plan according to my personal genetics. For more information on DNAFit the website link is below and I’ve also provided the link to the webinar.

More information on the website, click here: DNAFit

To listen to the webinar, click here: https://youtu.be/YYRSF3ZDo00