High-performance sports require an adequate balance between good physical and mental preparation, a specific nutritional plan, good genetic conditions, and sports planning adapted to these individual characteristics.
Regarding genetics, it is possible to have a greater predisposition to respond more effectively to physical exercise, hence the importance of taking a genetic test for athletes like the one we offer within the DNA Starter Kit from tellmeGen.
For all these reasons, we have decided to prepare this special on how to use our DNA test for sports so that you can learn everything about how genetics influences your sports performance and how you can extract the maximum benefits from this valuable information to reach your full potential as an athlete.
What factors influence your sports performance?
Sports performance, like other complex traits, is influenced by both genetic and environmental factors.
The genetic factors that influence sports performance are inherent to each athlete, meaning they are part of your biology regardless of your training level. Furthermore, they can be inherited, meaning they can be passed from generation to generation.
On the other hand, environmental factors can be modified through your training routines and preparation level.
So, what genetic factors can I find out about myself with tellmeGen's DNA test for athletes?
At this point, it is important to understand the concept of genotype:
When we talk about genotype, we refer to your individual and personal genetic makeup. That is, the genes you have inherited from your parents.
To know how your genetics influences your sports performance, at tellmeGen we base our study on one of the main genes associated with sports performance, the ADRB3 gene.
How does the ADRB3 gene influence my response to physical exercise?
The ADRB3 gene is the main receptor in the regulation of thermogenesis, that is, the capacity to generate heat to carry out metabolic reactions such as lipolysis, catabolism, or fat burning.
The choice of this gene as one of those studied in our genetic test is because, by studying the rs4994 polymorphism of said gene and knowing if you are a carrier of the Trp64Arg allele, it is possible to establish more specific and effective nutritional and exercise guidelines.
And what are the environmental factors that influence my response to sports?
When we refer to environmental factors, we mean all those factors external to your genetics that can influence your health and, by extension, your sports performance, ranging from the temperature or humidity of the place where you practice sports to social or educational variables.
All these factors must also be taken into account to avoid diminishing your sports performance and to use them to further enhance your positive capabilities.
How do genetic factors (my genotype) and environmental factors interact?
At this point, it is important to understand another concept. In this case, that of phenotype:
The interaction between the genetic factors (genotype) and the environmental factors mentioned above results in the determination of your individual phenotype, that is, your personal qualities, both general and those related to your sports performance.
What are the benefits of a genetic test for sports in general and for athletes in particular?
The importance of taking a genetic test for sports lies in the fact that, thanks to the results and information you obtain from it, you will be able to adapt all your sports routines and training to what is most suitable for you from a genetic point of view.
Some benefits you will achieve are:
- You will know yourself better through your body's responses
Exercise physiology is the body's response during activity to provide energy to the muscles involved in the exercise and maintain body balance or homeostasis during it.
The response to physical exercise is an individual characteristic of utmost importance for optimal sports performance.
- You can optimize your routines and types of training
With a DNA test for athletes, you can also find out if your genetics makes you more effective than others in some aspects of sports practice or in your muscle performance, such as when performing endurance or strength exercises.
Knowing in which aspects of sports practice you have a greater predisposition or efficiency thanks to your genetic characteristics will allow you to optimally plan your training routines.
- You will be closer to achieving your sporting goals and objectives
Knowledge about your body's response to physical exercise, as well as the optimization of your routine planning, is what will allow you to achieve your sporting goals and objectives.
In addition, your genetic report can also be used as a support tool for your coach, physical therapist, and/or nutritionist to follow up on your sports routines and dietary response in a more detailed and personalized way, based on the data provided by your test results.
- You will develop your full potential and your best version.
As you know, at tellmeGen our main objective is to take care of your health and well-being, in addition to bringing the great potential of genetics to everyone, so that your genetic information becomes the source of power and knowledge that allows you to improve and maintain your quality of life.
That is why we developed our genetic test and prepared this special on genetics and sports with the sole objective of helping you reach your maximum potential as an athlete.
I would like to try the tellmeGen DNA test to improve my sports performance. Which product am I most interested in?
Any of our kits can offer you very complete and useful information about your response to physical exercise since they all include the results related to your well-being (Wellness section) that we analyze. You only need to purchase the tellmeGen product that best suits your needs, provide your saliva sample, and in about 4-6 weeks receive your completely personalized online reports.
