Research strongly suggests that no amount of training can break through the percentage of genetically inherited fast twitch muscle fibers. The greater the number of fast twitch fibers an athlete has, generally the better they would be suited to sprint/power events. Is a sprinter born or made? Genes may not determine who the world’s best runners are, but they do circumscribe possibility. Kenyans and other East Africans have an innate capacity, not an innate ability, to thrive in distance running; individual effort and courage separate the pretenders from the stars.
East African Athletes Kenyans and other east Africans sweep 60% of the worlds distance running events. In the sprints, their fastest recorded time for the 100meters is 10.28 seconds. It is ranked as the 5,000th on the all time list. The top 60 times for the 3000meters steeplechase are all held by Kenyan athletes. They also hold more than half of the top times for the 5000meters and the 10,000 meters. The vast majority of top Kenyan runners come from one area of the country, the Kalejin region. The Kalejin (1.5m population) athletes have more than 70% of Kenya’s Olympic medals for running.
Kenyan’s have a distinct body type:
Ectomorphs
Short and slender
Higher RBC count
Huge lung capacity
High percent of slow twitch muscle fibers
More energy producing enzymes in their muscles
They are the perfect biomechanical package for running
Caucasian Athletes
Caucasian athletes tend to have, on average, more natural upper-body strength, predictably dominated weightlifting, wrestling and field events, such as the hammer (hold 46 of the top 50 performances). Evolutionary forces have shaped a population with a predilection toward a mesomorphic body type – large and muscular, particularly in the upper body, with relatively short arms and legs and thick torsos. These proportions tend to be an advantage in sports in which strength rather than speed is at a premium. Caucasian athletes tend to dominate swimming events; very few athletes reach any swimming finals. This is due to that African athletes have heavier skeletons and smaller chest cavities. This would lead them to a disadvantage when competing in the water.
Indian Athletes Indian Athletes excel in a variety of sports particularly cricket. This is due to social and cultural influences rather then physiological differences. Research has shown that genetic evolution has strongly influenced the physiological make up of people living in different environments. This could determine if an individual has the chance at becoming an elite athlete. Through dedication, commitment and good fortune are also factors that play a major part in determining if an athlete will be a winner. It is also necessary to take in to account the social, cultural and economic factors of a country. These can have a great effect of choice of sport. This could help to explain why some races excel at some sports but not in others.
References
Class handouts http://www.caringonline.com