DNA and Exercise Effects
Research reveals links between physical activity patterns and genetics.
There may be truth to the fact that the apple doesn’t fall from the tree—and that your love for physical activity is inherited. A genetic data review from more than 700,000 people shows associations between exercise and DNA regions.
People who exhibit certain DNA variants are more likely to prefer spending their leisure time doing moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activities; other variants seem more linked to sitting and watching television programs. Study authors attribute these relationships to how certain genes affect individual muscular responses to training.
“Our results show that this [building block of a protein] change [in DNA] results in more elastic muscle fibers that can deliver less force but are likely less susceptible to exercise-induced muscle damage,” said Andrew Emmerich, PhD student, department of cell and molecular biology, Uppsala University. “We think this reduced risk of muscle damage after exercise makes it easier for people to have a more active lifestyle.”
Researchers noted 46 genes in 99 DNA regions that could underlie the connection between genetics and physical activity. Pathways involving locomotion and muscle weakness from muscle fiber dysfunction  may be involved. “We cannot currently claim that these 46 genes cause someone to be more or less physically active in daily life, but they provide great leads for future studies,” said senior investigator Marcel den Hoed, PhD, Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology at Uppsala University.
The research on exercise and DNA is reported in Nature Genetics (2022; 54, 1332–44).
Shirley Eichenberger-Archer, JD, MA
Shirley Eichenberger-Archer, JD, MA, is an internationally acknowledged integrative health and mindfulness specialist, best-selling author of 16 fitness and wellness books translated into multiple languages and sold worldwide, award-winning health journalist, contributing editor to Fitness Journal, media spokesperson, and IDEA's 2008 Fitness Instructor of the Year. She's a 25-year industry veteran and former health and fitness educator at the Stanford Prevention Research Center, who has served on multiple industry committees and co-authored trade books and manuals for ACE, ACSM and YMCA of the USA. She has appeared on TV worldwide and was a featured trainer on America's Next Top Model.
