Related Experiment Videos
Adaptation to maximal effort: genetics vs. environment. A case history
Acta Geneticae Medicae Et Gemellologiae
|January 1, 1984
Summary
Environmental factors significantly impact physiological responsiveness. Even with identical genetics, differing training frequencies in identical twins (MZ triplets) led to varied maximum oxygen consumption (MaxVo2) improvements, highlighting environmental influence on fitness adaptability.
Area of Science:
- Exercise Physiology
- Behavioral Genetics
Background:
- Human functional ability is understood as a complex interplay between genetic inheritance and environmental factors.
- Investigating the precise contribution of extragenetic influences on physiological adaptability is crucial for understanding individual differences.
Observation:
- A study utilized monozygotic (MZ) triplets to assess the impact of varied extragenetic influences on functional adaptability.
- Participants underwent a 3-month aerobic physical fitness training program with differing frequencies.
Findings:
- Post-training, maximum oxygen consumption (MaxVo2) values showed significant intrapair differences among the MZ triplets (e.g., 59.1, 44.5, 57.8 ml/min/kg vs. pre-training values of 45.2, 45.1, 49.1 ml/min/kg).
- The split-triplet design demonstrated that variations in training frequency (an environmental factor) substantially contributed to the intrapair variance in physiological adaptability.
Implications:
- Environmental stimulation, particularly of sufficient magnitude, can significantly alter functional adaptability, even in individuals with identical genotypes.
- This research underscores the critical role of environmental factors in shaping physiological responses and athletic performance.