Understanding Genetics and Its Impact on Performance

This chapter explores the relationship between phenotypes and genetics, emphasizing how human traits arise from genetic and protein interactions. It also covers the increasing availability of direct-to-consumer genetic testing kits that can aid in optimizing athletic performance.

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Episode notes

In this episode, I discuss genetic testing for sports and athletic performance. I describe the history of sports genomics and the search for genes that determine strength, endurance, and other performance markers. I explain how to interpret genetic test results, including how many genes determine a trait, the relative influence of a single gene, and the likelihood that a genetic variant produces noticeable performance effects.

I discuss the ethical issues and current limitations of using genetic testing for athletic talent identification. I explain whether your genetic profile can help optimize personalized training, exercise, and nutrition programs to further accelerate performance. I also discuss gene doping, gene editing, gene therapy, and the future of sports genomics.

If listeners have done or are considering genetic testing for personal or client use, this episode will provide a framework for the validity, accuracy, and reliability of current genetic testing and how to interpret their results.

Access the full show notes for this episode at performpodcast.com.