• Question: Do you think people with a certain genetic makeup are more likely to become professional athletes or is everybody equal and it just depend on their mental attitude and training ?

    Asked by hudse2011 to Katy on 8 Nov 2016.
    • Photo: Katy Griggs

      Katy Griggs answered on 8 Nov 2016:

      Great question. It is probably a mixture of both. It has been shown that some genes do predispose certain individuals to be faster or stronger than others, but also possess a mental strength, motivation and self-belief. But an individual who may have the right genetic make up to be a good athlete may not necessary be an good athlete as without the training and environmental influence they may not be able to achieve their potential. Being an athlete requires a lot of hard work and dedication from the athlete themselves but they also need to be given the right opportunities to succeed.

Comments

  • Photo: Dan

    Dan commented on :

    A nice question. Genetics play an enormous part in the difference between elite and non elite athletes. For example we inherit such characteristics as height and limb lengths. There are also genes which predispose the type of muscles fibres that we have a predominance of. There are also genes which determine how much we adapt to trading such as PGC-1 alpha and myosatin.
    However do these determine if we will become a pro athlete, no not on their own. There are also issues of environment, sociology and as you suggest psychology. So we are not all the same, but there is a large amount if luck on top if the science.

  • Photo: LauraAnne

    LauraAnne commented on :

    the question whether we’re born naturally good at something, or whether hard work will determine how good we are is one that has been asked for many years now! Certain genes such as ACTN-3 have been shown to be associated with sprinters, and there’s been a lot of work into genetyping racehorses to understand if they are sprint racehorses or are better at running over long distances. Increased amounts of type II fibres have also been shown to be good for sprinting. However – this only gets you so far. It is what you do in training, preparing for competitions and at home, as well as any number of things like when you started playing a sport, if you were coached to do a particular skill, etc. that will eventually determine how good an athlete you become, as well as being dedicated and a lot of mental strength.