Adaptation to maximal effort: genetics vs. environment. A case history

An individual's functional ability in physiological responsiveness is thought to be an interaction between his heredity and his environment. This hypothesis was tested to determine if different extragenetic influences would alter functional adaptability in a set of MZ triplets. After a 3-month aerobic physical fitness training program varying only in frequency measured values for the triplets' maximum oxygen consumption (MaxVo2) were 59.1, 44.5, and 57.8 ml/min/kg, as compared to pretreatment values of 45.2, 45.1, and 49.1 ml/min/kg respectively. These results clearly indicate intrapair differences in functional adaptability, stemming from difference in the training frequency program. The split-triplet design of this study indicates that environmental factors contribute substantially to the intrapair variance found among MZ siblings. Data extrapolation suggests that environmental stimulation of sufficient magnitude is likely to alter the functional adaptability in the individual set by his genotype.