The Sports Gene: Talent, Practice and The Truth About Success

Recently I have been reading David Epstein’s The Sports Gene which explores the ways in which genetics influences athletic success. Genetics is worlds away from my area of expertise but it is impossible to think about athletic performance without considering genetics, after all, “you can’t teach height” (Red Auerbach, Boston Celtics Hall of Fame Coach).

Here are my key takeaways from the book:

1. Anthropometric trends persist within almost every sport and very rarely is the Vitruvian Man the ideal body shape for athletic success. Successful swimmers tend to have long bodies and short legs, long-distance runners have narrow bodies and long legs, whilst sprinters have short legs.

2. Genes can influence one's trainability. Individuals respond to training in different ways. With respect to aerobic capacity (measured as Vo2 Max), some individuals have a low baseline but very high trainability, meaning they start off with very low aerobic capacity but with training they can drastically increase their capability. Others have a high baseline, but low trainability, meaning no matter how hard they train they may only see limited improvement.

3. Desire is genetically influenced. Studies have found that how hard and often one is willing to train is genetically influenced. Two primary reasons for this are the way our bodies and brains respond to the chemicals, primarily dopamine, released from exercise and training and the genetic influence on our pain thresholds. Those with higher pain thresholds will be more likely to train harder.

4. Genetics tests can help save lives, but it’s not so simple. Genes play a key role in our susceptibility to injury and identifying these risks can help athletes make informed choices and also prepare their bodies to minimise the risks. However, many athletes would rather not know as this can also influence their chances of getting signed, earning a scholarship and important can impact their mental health and their identity.

It is clear genetics plays a significant role in athletic performance, however environmental factors cannot be ignored. And ironically, for many groups with a history of athletic excellence, the environment shaped the genes. The dominance of West African heritage athletes in sprinting is a great example. In response to the prevalence of Malaria, these populations developed adaptations that made their red-blood cells resilient to the disease, but at the same time, they decreased the amount of oxygen in the blood. To compensate these West African populations developed a higher ratio of fast-twitch to slow-twitch muscle fibres, along with a more oxygen efficient energy metabolising process.

Further, the environment also influences our access and our choices. Jamaica has dominated sprinting at the Olympics, second only to the United States in medals won in the 100m and 200m meters events, despite having a population of only three million. Sprinting is the national sport in Jamaica and the annual high school athletics championships are the biggest sporting event of the year. Athletes with potential are groomed and guided into their most popular sport, creating a pipeline of exceptional talent that belies the nations tiny population.

Epstein does not solve the Nature vs Nurture debate and nor does he dismiss the role of our environment in developing athletic excellence, but he does illuminate the complex influence of genetics on athletic performance. It may be self-evident that genes influence sporting success, but do you know how? Truth be told no one does but David does an excellent job of embracing that ambiguity and exploring the role of genetics in athletics.

For anyone interested in what underpins success in athletic performance, it is an outstanding read. David makes what would usually be very complex and dense accessible and interesting.

I do have one final thought for David. The perfect body for any sport is only as perfect as our understanding of the sport. Changing perceptions from coaches about how to best play the game will change which bodies are desirable. The recent small ball trend in the NBA is a good example of how a once desired body type is disappearing from a sport. Nature and Nurture are inextricably linked and interdependent in the making of athletes.