27 June 2019
Can Genetic Testing Help With Sports Training, Nutrition & Recovery?
A DNAlysis affiliated article
Can genetic testing help with sports training, nutrition and recovery? Genetic testing is being used by medical practitioners more and more for health insights and optimal treatment guidelines.
Research within the genetics of sporting performance has been prolific, and it’s been shown that a high percentage of the variance in athlete status is explained by additive genetic factors.
This is because people are born with different genes that dictate the specifics of their optimum training regimes. These genes influence various aspects of fitness – from performance capacity to recovery.
Genetic testing uses science instead of guesswork when it comes to optimal fitness regimes. DNAlysis’ Sport tests genetic variants that influence injury risk, recovery, as well as power and endurance performance.
Results provide insight into various biological areas that impact training responsiveness and sporting performance, optimal exercise selection, and injury and recovery strategies.
The test is suitable for elite performance athletes as well as recreational sportspeople or exercisers looking to maximise their fitness potential and reach peak levels of conditioning.
DNA Sport reports on the following areas:
Structural integrity of soft tissue
Inflammation and oxidative stress
Blood flood: blood pressure and oxygenation
Cardiopulmonary capacity
Energy during exercise
Caffeine metabolism
Muscle fibre type and bone composition
Endurance/aerobic capacity
Power/strength potential
Genetic information, however, is not a substitute for the intervention of a practitioner, who should be able to guide and prescribe accordingly.
Coaching combines both art and science. The science describes known facts about human anatomy, physiology, and the way humans respond and adapt to stress. Over time, coaches have developed broad regulated practices – intervals, communication, periodization, energy system development, all lead to improved athletic performance. The art of coaching is taking the best methodologies and individualizing them in order to maximize your performance, and your genetics can play a role.