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Furthermore, throwing on those running shoes and getting out there is great for your mental health and can even help you live longer.
As with many things, genes play an important but not necessarily defining role in determining athletic ability.
Sources: (BBC) (ScienceDaily) (Ancestry)
See also: The physical and mental health benefits of trail running
Since you are only running fast for a short period of time, you can afford to go slightly faster than you normally would.
It is worth remembering, too, that running is very beneficial to your health, even if you may not be the fastest athlete out there.
Running is great not only for your heart, but studies have shown it is beneficial for your bones, too.
Another helpful session involves intervals, or ‘fartlek’ training. This is where you run fast for two or three minutes, slow for one minute, and then repeat.
Find a short, sharp hill that you can run up for a maximum of 10 seconds. Walk back down, recover, and then go again.
For many people, the answer lies in training. One piece of advice from the experts is to incorporate some hill training into your running schedule.
So, if you’re not part of that 31%, is it possible to beat your genetic indisposition and excel at running anyway? And, if so, how?
An example of one of those genes is the so-called ‘warrior gene,’ which is associated with risk-taking and aggression.
The study at Essex University found that only 31% of participants had the right genetic makeup to really make the most of their training.
This is the gene that allows people to turn on their survival instinct, to make themselves think "I need to run."
By contrast, the people who improved only a little had only one or two of those positive genes.
According to the lead researcher, the people who improved their cardio fitness by 20% had all 19 of these positive genes.
Prior to the study, the team had identified 19 specific genes that were related to some sort of fitness variable.
The team then compared these results with the genotype analysis of each of the runners.
Sure enough, there was a positive correlation between the occurrence of genes for fitness and the ability to improve cardio fitness.
However, the results showed a big standard deviation. Some people improved by 20%, others by 5%, and some didn’t improve at all.
According to the lead researcher, he would expect to see a 10% improvement in cardio fitness over eight weeks.
For a period of eight weeks, the study participants ran for 30 minutes three times a week. The researchers then looked at the participants’ improvement in cardio fitness.
To begin with, a team at Essex University analyzed the genes of 45 men and women aged between 20 and 40.
More recently, however, researchers in the UK have been looking more closely at how a person’s athletic ability may be determined by their genetic makeup.
The gene referred to as the ‘speed gene’ is ACTN3, and it is responsible for regulating a particular protein produced in fast-twitch muscle fibers.
These fast-twitch muscle fibers have been found to abound in athletes who engage in power-based sports, such as sprinting and weightlifting.
It is worth noting that scientists have been looking into the existence of a ‘speed gene’ for more than 20 years now.
Indeed, recent research has shown that a person’s ability to improve their cardiovascular fitness (and therefore enjoy exercise) may largely be determined by their genes.
Increasingly, however, scientists are beginning to think that there may be something more at play.
For a long time, people in the second group have been criticized. Many have thought of them as lazy, unmotivated, and ready to make excuses.
When it comes to running, there is a very wide spectrum of human experience. We all know someone who has the bug, who puts their shoes on and doesn’t seem to stop.
On the other hand, we all know people who say they cannot conceive of anything worse than putting one foot in front of the other until failure!
If you've ever wondered why your best friend seems to love running, while you simply cannot imagine anything worse, the answer could be in your genetic makeup. You're not necessarily lazy or unmotivated to try, you probably just weren't born to run. Feeling relieved? Or does this sound too convenient to be true?
Curious? Check out this gallery to learn more.
Born to run? The connection between fitness and genetics
Is athletic ability really in our DNA?
LIFESTYLE Exercise
If you've ever wondered why your best friend seems to love running, while you simply cannot imagine anything worse, the answer could be in your genetic makeup. You're not necessarily lazy or unmotivated to try, you probably just weren't born to run. Feeling relieved? Or does this sound too convenient to be true?
Curious? Check out this gallery to learn more.