Have you ever watched the Olympics, or any other sporting event, and marveled at the things that superstar athletes can do? It is nothing short of amazing how fast some people can run, how strong their bodies are, and how much skill and endurance they have. It is natural to wonder how these people are able to do what they do, and to wonder if athletic ability is genetic.
It appears as though to some extent, genetics does play a role in athletic ability. There is no one “athletic gene”, rather there are genes that affect different parts of our bodies that determine athletic performance. Genes influence lung capacity, muscle size and composition, and flexibility as well as how the body responds to environmental factors such as training and nutrition. It is important to mention the effect that environmental factors have on genes because even the most “athletic” genes in the world will not be able to develop to their full capacity if the right environmental factors – in this case proper nutrition and access to training – are not present. The development of athletic ability is a good example of how nature (genes) and nurture (environment) work together, instead of being an either-or type of situation as some people might suggest.
There are also factors associated with athletic performance that are not linked to genetics such as accuracy, agility, balance, and reaction time. This is great news for me in more than one way. I have never been particularly agile, I don’t have great balance, and my reaction time is pretty slow. It is great to know that I can improve all of these things with proper training. Also, as the mother of a little boy, it is a relief to know that the things that I dislike about my athletic abilities or lack thereof are not something that I may have passed on to him. Fortunately, my husband is very athletically talented and from what I can see so far, my son takes after him. He is very agile, and I constantly have to remind myself that this is a good thing every time I hold my breath as he climbs onto another precarious perch. He’s also quite fast, and I am getting a good workout following his “explorations” throughout the house every day. This is the “nurture” part of helping him reach his fullest potential, both athletic and otherwise.