Genetics In Sports

The genes in our dexoyribonucleic acid, DNA, determine many things in our body such as our eye color, our skin color, our gender, right or left-handedness, and even height. Genetics also affect our athletic ability. Although studies show that genes, including ACTN3 and ACE, affect and determine athletic ability, factors such as a well-designed training plan, a proper nutrition plan, and psychology combine with DNA to contribute to athletic ability and performance in sports. Genes determine the types of sports people would excel at since genes influence athletic ability, and athletic ability dictates our success in sports. All sports fit in either one of two categories: anaerobic sports or aerobic sports. Anaerobic sports include baseball,

Although different in function compared to ACTN3, the ACE gene also has two alleles. These alleles moderately govern the strength of an athlete. Athletes with D alleles outperform athletes with I alleles because D alleles causes athletes to have more strength. “Studies show that the DD genotype of the ACE gene gave an advantage in power performance, as it produced a major development of strength in response to training (Calo and Guiseppe 117).” Sprinters and other power athletes, in general, have the DD genotype while long distance runners and endurance athletes have the II genotype. The ACE gene unlike ACTN3 and ACTN2, responds to training. Athletes would significantly benefit from having the DD genotype of the ACE gene because they would improve the most after each training session and progress faster than other athletes with one or no copies of the D

Although an athlete could have all the essential genes for success in a particular sport, he or she would never reach his maximum level of skill if he did not have proper training. For example, a person might have the RR genotype of ACTN3 and the DD genotype of ACE. He may perhaps run faster than 50% of the world’s population without practice, but if he had a consistent training program, he could possibly run faster than 95% of the world’s population and gain the opportunity to compete in the Olympics for a gold medal. In addition, if the athlete follows a training program, the DD genotype of ACE would help him respond and advance much faster than normal individuals. Although the athlete in the example above participates in an anaerobic sport, the importance of training also applies to aerobic