Are you disciplined, lifting weights and still your muscles don’t really want to grow? A study has now found that this frustrating situation may have something to do with genes. They play an important role in the success of strength training.
Do you sometimes feel like you’re doing something wrong during your workout? While some struggle in the gym without seeing noticeable results, others seem to improve their muscular strength with much less effort. This is not necessarily due to technical errors or lack of discipline. According to a study by Cambridge University, the fact that some athletes simply get stronger than others is mainly due to their genes.
What exactly was examined?
In order to investigate the influence of genes on athletic performance, the British scientists carried out a meta-analysis of 24 studies with a total of 3012 participants. At the time of the research, they were between 18 and 55 years old. All were untrained and completed the exact same workout as part of their respective study.
The current meta-analysis not only looked into the question of what effect a person’s predisposition has on their ability to perform in the area of strength – i.e. why some athletes become stronger than others. The researchers were also interested in the relationship between genes and cardiovascular (affecting the cardiovascular system) fitness and performance in the anaerobic area.
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Above all, genes determine how strong an athlete can become
The scientists concluded that genetic differences among the subjects accounted for 72 percent of their varying strength-training results. That is, while one person’s genes make muscles grow stronger and faster, another athlete doesn’t seem to be able to achieve the same result with an identical workout simply because of their genes.
In contrast, genes are associated with only 44 percent of the variable results participants showed in cardiovascular fitness exercises. The correlation with performance in the anaerobic area is even weaker. According to the data analysis, genetic variations are apparently responsible for only 10 percent of the different training successes. Other influencing factors are nutrition, regeneration and possible injuries.
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Researchers identify 13 genes that influence our athletic performance
But the scientists not only found out that genes determine athletic performance and, above all, muscle strength. They were also able to identify the responsible genes. “In our study we found 13 genes that play a role in training outcomes. We also found that certain alleles in these genes are better suited for certain aspects of fitness,» explains Henry Chung, researcher at Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) in a press release.
“Because everyone has a different genetic makeup, our bodies respond slightly differently to the same exercise. It should be possible to improve the effectiveness of an exercise program by identifying an individual’s genotype and then designing a specific exercise program for them.”
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With individual training plans to quick success?
Based on the results of their analysis, the scientists believe that people with specific athletic goals will be more successful if their training plan is tailored to their genetic makeup. While the effort for amateur athletes may be a bit too high, this knowledge could play an important role in top-class sports or even in hospital patients. Always there where rapid changes are vital or decide between success and failure in a career.
Sources
- Chung HC, Keiller DR, Roberts JD, Gordon DA (2021). Do exercise-associated genes explain phenotypic variance in the three components of fitness? a systematic review & meta-analysis. PLOS ONE
- Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) (2021). Genes play key role in exercise outcomes – study. (accessed on October 18, 2021).