Skeletal muscle is a highly adaptable tissue. It responds to environmental and physiological challenges by changes in size, fibre type and metabolism. All of these responses are underpinned by our genes and it is therefore generally assumed that genetic variation between individuals may account for the differences in musculature and athletic capabilities between people. Research into the genetic influences of our muscle is at an embryonic stage, but some early insight into potential regulators has recently emerged, which is reflected in this review. Broad heritability, which appears to affect muscle size and strength more than metabolism has been assessed in twin and sibling studies. It appears to account for more inter-individual variation in the young as opposed to older people.
However, the current search for target “exercise genes” in humans has yielded the first successful results. Variations in the genes encoding for: the angiotensin converting enzyme, alpha-actinin 3, bradykinin, ciliary neurotrophic factor, interleukin-15, insulin-like growth factor II, myostatin and the vitamin D-receptor have all been found to account for some of the inter-subject variability in muscle strength or size.
Reference: J Musculoskelet Neuronal Interact 2006; 6(l):73-86
. Current scientific studies now drill down and display genetic variations being correlated from mining into huge shared medical databases that support an individual’s need for increased amounts of specific nutrients to produce body cells for strength and endurance which plays into naturally increasing the performance of athletes by discovering what natural nutrients may be needed in larger daily amounts to product 100% functionality. This ultimately enhances the athlete’s performance.