[quote]TriGWU wrote:
This one has been on my mind for a bit now…
I’m starting to get the feeling that genetics mean very little (>1%), if not nothing at all, in one’s success in sport/competition.
I don’t think it is possible or logical to say the world record holder, in any realm, has the best genetics in his/her realm.
Maybe it is my math but, considering that we currently have no idication of our extreme genetic potential, the probability of the world record holder being the guy/girl with the most superior genes is very slim. I mean how would the person know they were the best? There is a great possibility that the guy with the best genetics is still out their… playing piano. [/quote]
First off, I don’t know what mathematics you’re doing, but genetics and athletic performance are both just probability distributions, and training, intelligence, determination, diet, etc. all figure into the algorithm that translates between the two distributions. As for the high end of “genetic potential”, you’re probably right, chemo-mechanical potential would suggest that “genetic potential” has a long way to go. Which is part of what make biotech so exciting (IMO).
Secondly, on the flip side of something that you alluded to, if all of the world champions were genetically superior in a wide variety of ways, would you know by looking at them? Probably not, when we get the $1000 genome, we’ll probably get the rock solid evidence. Until then, we’ll just find genes like ACTN3 and myostatin and others that are correlated with athletic performance. And as any sportsman will atest, nothing guarantees a win. I would assume this applies to genetics too.
[quote]TriGWU wrote:
This one has been on my mind for a bit now…
I’m starting to get the feeling that genetics mean very little (>1%), if not nothing at all, in one’s success in sport/competition.
I don’t think it is possible or logical to say the world record holder, in any realm, has the best genetics in his/her realm.
Maybe it is my math but, considering that we currently have no idication of our extreme genetic potential, the probability of the world record holder being the guy/girl with the most superior genes is very slim. I mean how would the person know they were the best? There is a great possibility that the guy with the best genetics is still out their… playing piano. [/quote]
genetics are of utmost importance. determination and persistence and proper practice can only pay off what your genetics allow.
genetic limits HAVE been discovered. why have world records been around for decades in sports that have been unchanged for decades? soem records have changed, but by only a few pounds or a few hundredths of a second.
[quote]elliot007 wrote:
both matter
some guys get but just on genetics
others get by just by busting their ass
the elite have the genetics and the grit
someone like alex rodriguex has both
whereas david eckstein is almost all grit
i dont know ryan leaf’s workout regimen, but he strikes me as talent without grit[/quote]
I was going to say none of that matters … for similar reasons!
You either make the cut (and keep it) or you dont. For each geneticedge I have, there some competitor who wishes he had the same edge. The reverse also applies forbad genes`, obviously.
Genetics or not, your competitors are there, whatever path they chose to get there, and one still has to fight with them, to keep one`s ranking.
What was the movie line … ? Its not the size of the dog in the fight, its the size of the fight in the dog. (Up to a point, of course).
How many times have you seen the guy with the best car (or motorcycle) lose to the guy who was the superior driver?
Sure, having an exeptional machine is important, but the key is knowing how to fully utilize it and push it to it’s limit.