Genetics impact major aspects of our life – think about your height, weight, and overall health. A recent study by researchers in the UK found that our genes can influence whether or not we are suited for a certain exercise.
Think about this: Even when a whole batch of people exercises together, be it the gym, Zumba or CrossFit, you often see a difference in which each individual adapts and improves at the same exercises. This is because several variables come into play like diet, sleep schedule as well as age. Recently, researchers have discovered that we all adapt to exercise differently because of our genes. Thousands of genes affect the way your body adapts to exercise. One example of this is the ACE gene. There are two types of this gene ACE I and ACE D. People who have the ACE I gene will ace endurance training whereas those who have the latter gene will be better at strength training.
The study analysed 24 other studies which included 3,012 participants. Through this, researchers found that on average, people saw significant improvements in their fitness when they worked out thrice a week for 12 weeks, regardless of their genetics. They also found that fitness improvements aren’t equal. After taking into account factors like sex, age, and diet, their analysis found that 13 genes were directly responsible for the differences.
For aerobic training (hiking, swimming, cycling, walking, or rowing), genetics explained 44 per cent of the difference in scores and for strength training (lifting weights, push-ups, hill walking, and dancing), genes explained about 72 per cent. For power training (jumping with weights or throwing weights), genes explained 10 per cent of the difference. The rest of the changes can be due to factors like how long your body takes to recover from exercises and your overall lifestyle.
This in no way means that just because your body is better suited to one type of exercise that you can’t ace the other. You just have to work a little harder than others to see similar results.