Have you ever wondered if your ability (or inability) to carry out certain physical activities is based on your genes?
Well here’s an interesting topic for table talk or a social media debate, depending on which you prefer:
According to Dr Pieter van Jaarsveld, the South African psychologist and author of Think Your Way to Happiness, genetics plays a role in how happy you are. Dr Van Jaarsveld says that your genes have a 40% wager in influencing your emotions, which means that while you possess free will to experience whichever feeling you want, your mom and dad’s attitude to life, whether you’ve spent time with them or not, contributes to how you feel about stuff.
Crazy or cool? We’d love to know your thoughts. Tag us in your comments online, using #bodytecsa.
If emotions are partially influenced by genes, surely the same goes for physical performance?
Yes and no.
A study by Indiana University found that one’s genotype (the set of genes in your DNA) can influence the extent of one’s physical activity, physical fitness, and health and that genes influence the degree to which health and fitness occurs. In other words, your genes influence the potential of your health, fitness, and physical activity.
Since your genes determine how small or large your muscles will be, and fibre composition is associated with muscle strength, your strength potential is massively influenced by genes.
However, potential doesn’t equate to performance so if you are placed in an environment that doesn’t exercise your potential, you won’t be physically stronger or exceed the endurance level of someone with less muscle mass. In the same way, someone who consistently exercises their strength potential – even though their muscle composition may not favour super strength – will be able to defy their average expected performance.
It’s important to note that factors of socialisation such as your environment, friends, family, mentors, the media you consume, and your workplace, form the core influencing factors of your social identity. Regardless of how physically fit you CAN be, what separates the weak from the strong is applied effort.
Are you willing to work for your results?