Review
The article postulates that there is a relationship between genetic material in the body and performance traits that are required in the field of athletics. The actin-binding protein is responsible for initiating the generation of high velocity in the muscles. This particular gene that is responsible for this trait is absent in almost 18% of the whites as asserted by Yang et al . (2003). The gene that is responsible for this trait is called the ACTN3 gene. The gene is very crucial to athletic performance. It has also been researched that males and females that depict a high performance in athletics especially sprinting tend to have higher frequencies of an allele referred to as 577R. Individuals possessing the ACTN3 gene, therefore, depict an advantage regarding generating forceful contractions that eventually lead to a high velocity. The protein also provides an evolutionary advantage which in turn leads to a better performance in sprinting. The gene 577RX leads to a differential performance in athletics between men and women.
Generally, the ACTN 577R allele is responsible for providing an advantage for power and activities that involve sprinting. The gene is more dominant in females than males as per the research carried out. Another aspect, the androgen hormone, is responsible for training helps men in making significant improvements to their performance. The ACTN3 protein might also be responsible for the formation the fast-twitch fibers. They might also result in a physiological impact in the body where they alter glucose metabolism to respond to the demands of training. The protein might also evolutionary optimized so that there is a minimum of damage caused as a consequence of contraction of the muscle fiber. Further research is being carried out on how the genetic protein known as ACTN3 is responsible for altering muscle contractions which subsequently affects the athletic performance. Santos , (2016) pointed out that the physical performance of human beings is also a function of multifactorial trait that is prone to influence by hereditary factors discussed and environmental factors including diet. With regards to genetics, polymorphism, which is the occurrence of different alleles at the same locus, is responsible for the development of athletic characteristics. This means that there are other genes other than ACTN3 and ACE that influence human activity. The only gap that was evident in the study was that the researchers did not analyze the correlation between myostatin and athletic competition. Myostatin is a protein that is responsible for regulating the growth of muscles hence determining the number and size of fiber.
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Questions and Explorations
Is ACTN3 Indeed Associated With Athletic Performance?
According to Guth & Roth, (2013), the ACTN3 gene has been postulated to code for a specific protein that is responsible for regulating muscle fibers. Functions such as weight lifting and sprinting are enabled through the action of this particular type of protein on the muscle fibers in the skeletal system. Individuals who possess two disrupted copies of the gene are referred to as elite sprint athletes meaning that the loss of this particular gene may lead to a decrease in power production in the muscle. Therefore, a decrease in this power reduces the ability of a person to sprint or perform in any athletic activity. The gene, ACTN3 is also responsible for increasing the endurance performance, which is a vital aspect in the athletic field, although evidence suggesting this is still under research. The 18% of the white population that depict an absence in this gene show poor sprint performance than individuals possessing at least one copy of this particular gene.
Is ACTN3 Just One Of The Factors Influencing Athletic Performance?
It has been suggested that individuals with the right combination of the ACTN3 genes perform the best in athletic competitions. However, other factors determine the success of an individual in the athletic field other than the ACTN3 gene. Eynon et al. (2013) asserted that the gene had been determined to only explain 2-3% of the variation in the muscle function among the population. The rest is determined by a host of other genetic and environmental factors some of which are not understood well. The 577XX genotype has particularly been suggested to increase the performance of an athlete by increasing their endurance performance. The gene ACE has also been associated with sprint activity and endurance performance. Other environmental performance that can affect the sprint ability and the general athletic performance of an individual include altitude, temperature, and the terrain of the land among others.
References
Eynon, N., Hanson, E. D., Lucia, A., Houweling, P. J., Garton, F., North, K. N., & Bishop, D. J. (2013). Genes for elite power and sprint performance: ACTN3 leads the way. Sports medicine , 43 (9), 803-817.
Guth, L. M., & Roth, S. M. (2013). Genetic influence on athletic performance. Current opinion in pediatrics , 25 (6), 653.
Santos, C. G. M., Pimentel‐Coelho, P. M., Budowle, B., Moura‐Neto, R. S., Dornelas‐Ribeiro, M., Pompeu, F. A. M. S., & Silva, R. (2016). The heritable path of human physical performance: from single polymorphisms to the “next generation”. Scandinavian journal of medicine & science in sports , 26 (6), 600-612.
Yang, N., MacArthur, D. G., Gulbin, J. P., Hahn, A. G., Beggs, A. H., Easteal, S., & North, K. (2003). ACTN3 genotype is associated with human elite athletic performance. The American Journal of human genetics , 73 (3), 627-631.
