Performance and resilience
What genetics may contribute to understanding physical performance, recovery and biological resilience.
Physical performance is a complex phenotype.
Training, nutrition, age, injury history, psychology, environment and many genetic factors can contribute to differences between individuals.
Genetics can add context, but it does not define athletic potential.
ACTN3
ACTN3 is one of the best-known genes in sports-genetics research.
It encodes alpha-actinin-3, a protein expressed primarily in fast-twitch skeletal muscle fibres. A common variant can result in absence of functional alpha-actinin-3.
Research has investigated associations between ACTN3 genotype and sprint, power and endurance characteristics.
Those associations are population-dependent and probabilistic.
ACTN3 should therefore not be interpreted as an "athlete gene" or used to decide whether somebody can succeed in a particular sport.
Recovery and biological stress
Other areas of research investigate genetic variation associated with:
- inflammatory response;
- oxidative stress;
- muscle damage;
- connective tissue;
- cardiovascular adaptation;
- stress response; and
- recovery.
Many findings in these areas remain emerging rather than clinically established.
Resilience is broader than genetics
Biological resilience describes the capacity to respond to stress and maintain or recover function.
Genetics may contribute to this capacity, but so can physical conditioning, sleep, nutrition, healthcare, social circumstances and many other factors.
For Bioanalytix, performance evidence is therefore contextual rather than prescriptive.
It can help a user explore biological evidence about themselves without claiming to determine their physical capability or future performance.