Your Result: Aerobic / Power Exercise

To determine your exercise profile, we looked to both genetics (ACTN3 and ACE) and the exercise questionnaire to achieve a complete overview of you.

According to your DNA results you are genetically suited to a combination of strength and aerobic based exercise. Not only may you enjoy these types of exercises more, but your body may respond better to these types of exercises.

Strength Exercise

Strength based exercise are those types of exercise that utilise muscle contraction. This builds the strength and size of skeletal muscle and also increase anaerobic endurance.

Anaerobic exercise basically means, ‘without the need for oxygen’. It is one of the two energy systems which the body utilises energy in order to move. The body cannot work for long without oxygen, and so it is an energy system that is used for short, sharp and explosive exercise – think weight lifting or sprinting.

Over time and with regular practice, this energy system can be improved, through very specific forms of training that keep the body from switching over into its aerobic energy system (with oxygen).

The science behind strength training

Strength training has many benefits, not least that it helps the body lose weight. Many people (especially women) are afraid that strength training will have them increase their muscle mass in an unattractive way and thus avoid it.

The truth is that strength training is an important tool in losing weight. After you finish your workout, your muscle fibres have to repair themselves. Whilst doing this the body takes the opportunity to lay down new muscle fibres so that the next time you do that specific exercise it will feel a little easier. This also increases the size of the muscle.

This process takes energy and this is where your metabolism comes in. Metabolism controls how much energy your body expends. If you live a very sedentary life then your metabolism will be low as you don’t need to expend a lot of energy to maintain it.

If you are working out and exercising often then your metabolism will rise as your body needs more energy to keep going.

The body gets its energy from the food we eat, its fuel. In the absence of sufficient calorie intake, the body will break down its fat cells to convert into energy, hence you lose weight.

Benefits of strength training

  • Increased muscle mass and decreased body fat.
  • Increased metabolism and in turn weight loss.
  • Reduced inflammation.
  • Increases bone density and reduces the risk of osteoporosis.
  • Improves joint protection and mobility.
  • Lowers blood sugar and regulates insulin production.
  • Increased energy. 

Aerobic Exercise

Aerobic exercise relies on the body’s cardiovascular system to work. It is also referred to as ‘cardio’ exercise.

Our cardiovascular system uses the heart and lungs to transport oxygen around the body. How good you are at it depends on how quickly your heart and lungs can get that oxygen to the muscles that require it.

We can measure this system and how efficient it is by working out your VO2max. This is the maximum volume of oxygen your body can pump and use. Over time and with continued training, your VO2max will increase. If you think of starting up a running programme, to begin with you may only be able to run for 5 minutes. But with continued practice, that turns into 10, then 20, then 30 and so on. This is because your VO2max is increasing as your cardiovascular system becomes more efficient at transporting oxygen to where it is needed the most during exercise; your muscles.

Aerobic exercise has many benefits, the most obvious being weight loss. Other benefits include:

  • Increased lung capacity.
  • Improved heart strength and efficiency.
  • Better sleep.
  • Reduced risk of heart disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes.

Examples of aerobic exercise are:

  • Swimming.
  • Cycling.
  • Tennis, squash or racket ball.
  • Jogging or walking/hiking.
  • Aerobic classes.
  • Cardio machines in the gym.
  • Team sports – i.e football/rugby/netball/rounders.

Getting Started

Discuss this information with a personal trainer or health club professional. If you are new to exercise you can start with our 6-week beginner programme that will work with you at your current level. Interested? Get in touch with myDNAhealth's Customer Support team.

Exercise and Genetics

Below is for general information purposes only. 

Research shows that there is limited evidence that genetics can play a significant role in sports performance and conditioning. Our researchers investigated whether there was sufficient evidence to validate a sports specific branch to our DNA testing, which would be of interest and use to both professional athletes and 'weekend warriors' alike. The following SNPs have been shown to be of interest.

ACTN3 – known as the strength and power gene. Skeletal muscles can be divided into two types. Slow-twitch and fast-twitch muscle fibres. Slow-twitch is more efficient at utilising carbohydrates and fats for energy sources. This lends them to being better suited for more endurance-based activities. Fast-twitch fibres contract quickly and therefore need a more explosive energy source. This makes them more suited to strength and power activities. The ACTN3 gene is responsible for producing the protein alpha-actinin 3. This protein is found in fast-twitch muscle fibres.

Therefore, working copies of this gene would mean that you may be better suited to exercise that requires fast, rapid motion, such as sprinting or weight lifting. This does not necessarily mean that you will have a raised ability to do the above strength and power-based sports, just that your genotype is better suited to this.

ACE – or ‘Angiotensin I converting enzyme' (ACE) is associated with the rate of blood flow to the muscle. It is therefore associated with VO2 max, the process whereby the body carries oxygen to the muscles.

Variants in this genotype include either an insertion (AA and AG) leaving carriers better suited to endurance-based sports and activities. Or deletion of this genotype (GG) leaving carriers better suited to strength and power-based exercise – sprinting or weightlifting (as examples).

CYP1A2 – is a member of the cytochrome P450 superfamily of enzymes. It shows us, in this instance, the ability to metabolise caffeine.

Caffeine has been proving to be a beneficial pre-workout tool and also used during competition as it aids performance. Carriers of the AA or AC polymorphism are fast caffeine metabolises, and therefore will benefit from taking on caffeine pre or during workouts/competing. Carriers of the CC polymorphism are slow caffeine metabolises, and do not benefit from taking on caffeine. 

VDR – the vitamin D receptor has been shown to have an effect on sports conditioning due to its ability to aid in the absorption of three important minerals. Calcium is crucial for bone mass and lack of calcium can present as stress fractures in professional athletes. Magnesium has been indirectly linked to improvements in strength, and when lacking can cause increased muscle cramps. Phosphorus has been shown to improve aerobic ability.

Carriers of the CC polymorphism have normal functioning of vitamin D and carriers of the CT and TT polymorphisms have a reduced ability to absorb vitamin D and may therefore experience longer recovery times after intense exercise. A reduced ability to absorb calcium will increase the risk of stress fractures and also osteoporosis.

MnSOD – is related to muscle damage through exercise and recovery time.

Prolonged exercise and strength related exercise (weight lifting) can result in tears in muscle fibres, which in turn causes oxidative stress around the muscle. SOD is an enzyme that is released and helps neutralise that oxidative stress.

Carriers of the CC polymorphism have normal function of the SOD enzyme and therefore experience reduced inflammation levels, less muscle damage and quicker recovery time. 

Carriers of the TT and CT polymorphism have reduced activity of the SOD enzyme. This results in increased muscle damage and longer recovery time.