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July 27, 2024

It’s that time again, the 2024 Summer Olympics are upon us. Every four years people across the globe are overcome with pride as they come together to watch and support the incredible athletes representing their countries.

Many of these athletes over the years have achieved athletic greatness, earning medal after medal and setting world records. But the question is, how do they do it? Is it the training, natural abilities, or a combination of both?

Genetics play a role

Well, studies have shown that genetics play a crucial role in determining athletic abilities. More specifically, the type of muscle fibers you have in your body can set you up for success in some sports and hardships in others.

There are two main types of muscle fibers, slow twitch fibers and fast twitch fibers. Slow twitch fibers are designed to take in and use oxygen to make energy for endurance performance, such as long-distance running. Fast twitch fibers are designed to use other sources instead of oxygen in the body, like glucose and creatine phosphate, for maximal power and velocity performances, such as power lifting.

So how does this affect sports performance from person to person? Well, people are born with a genetically determined proportion of slow twitch and fast twitch fibers, accounting for 45% of their composition. This explains why some kids seem to always excel in the beep test and others not so much.

Environment plays a role

However, genetics and all, environment can play a role as well. In fact, the type of exercise and sports performance that you routinely do can account for as much as 40% of muscle fiber composition. Although, this would mostly apply to those that are training more frequently than the average Joe, much like the Olympic athletes we see on TV.

Well, what now?

So, what does this mean for the rest of us? With moderate exercise, we probably won’t find that we become professional level lifters, runners, or swimmers. However, that doesn’t mean that our muscle composition will completely deter any success, either.

Becoming an athlete is built upon by a foundation of many moving parts, motivation, training experience, and genetics too. And what’s most important, is that you’re enjoying what you’re doing when you’re doing it. So, the next time you go out for a neighborhood jog, don’t worry too much about whether or not you and Usain Bolt have the same amount of fast twitch fibers. After all, that’s what we have the Olympics for.