There are a couple of things I for all time suspected were
written into my DNA. My tendency to leave the house with wet hair. The innate
ability to not remember my original mission the second I reach the top of the
stairs and the "fat knee syndrome" that everlastingly prohibits those
trendy rippedknee skinny jeans. But what if DNA held the secrets to your physical
condition, sporting ability and even diet success? DNA testing is not a new observable
fact when it comes to health. Angelina Jolie brought the subject to the fore
when she had a double mastectomy after finding out she was carrying the BRCA1
gene, a hereditary gene which especially increases the chance of developing
breast cancer. For those with a family history, this kind of hereditary test
can be a lifesaver.
One individual genome company, 23 and Me, tests for 100
different hereditary conditions. It was banned in the US amid doubts over
accuracy, but has since launched in the UK and was reintroduced Stateside last
year with FDA sanction for genes related to 36 diseases, including sickle-cell
anaemia and cystic fibrosis. Not only could tests be a key to kiss-and-tell
medical predispositions in individuals, the vast genetic file that is being
built (more than a million public have signed up) could be used in future examine
and diagnostics.
From the particular to the broad spectrum and everything in stuck
between, it is certainly an area where we can discover a money trove of
information about our own bodies. Since it launched in 2013, DNAfit has worked
with Olympians and other athletes, tapping into their own strengths and
weaknesses and helping them to train and eat consequently.
In a time when we are ever more bombarded with conflicting
and often false information on diet and exercise, this sounded promising. I was
sent a relatively foolproof home-testing kit, and sent my DNA winging its way
back to the test centre. All it takes is a firm cheek swab to get a good
quality DNA sample - no bodily fluids necessary. Within a couple of weeks, my
results be back, along with some nifty infographics and some potentially
life-changing advice. I set up a assembly with Olympic runner Thomas Lancashire
to talk me from beginning to end my results.
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Some of it I most likely could have guessed, and I ticked
off all the right answers instantly. My body doesn't like carbs. Or, well, it
does, so much that it power through them and lays them down as fat (check). So
a low-carb diet is the order of the day for me. Happily, though, I'm OK with
saturated fat. So break out the butter. a further non-surprise - I metabolise
alcohol very slowly. This revenue I get drunk more quickly (check). even though
that's good for my cholesterol - those who metabolise booze quickly don't have
it in their bloodstream long an adequate amount of to take effect. And I have a
higher pre-disposition to coeliac disease - a one-in-35 chance somewhat than
onein-a- couple of thousand. (Check. I was diagnose a few years ago.) When it
came to my fitness, on the other hand, I was in for a few surprises. Lancashire
explained to me that, in general, I had the potential to get pretty damn fit. I
have a good VO2 max score, so potentially can amplify my lung capacity and
regain fitness levels quite quickly. I have a tendency towards injury but a
fast recovery time from exercise. So, while I need to be careful not to strain
ligaments and such, I can in theory keep fit every day without need to rest up
in between.
Thomas explain that I should be aiming for five to six session
a week, mixing up power and endurance training as my suitability is split
almost 50/50. That means I'm best suited to high intensity resistance training
or HIIT classes and spinning. And no excuses. Lancashire says a tool like this
helps to really tailor an exercise programme. "Normally, a trainer would
need to know a lot of information about a client - their family history,
background, lifestyle - to really see results. This allows us to make more
informed decisions when devising training plans." but, he admits that it
isn't perfect. "It's not a magic bullet. The environmental side vary from
person to person, so we have to take that into story
Diet-wise, separately from cutting back on the refined carbs
(bye bye sugar), I exposed that I don't necessarily need a higher than normal
intake of cruciferous veg, but could do with cutting down caffeine and salt. twice
over the normal RDA of omega-3 was advised - it's a good anti-inflammatory for
my injury-prone body. And I was told to increase my intake of selenium, incredible
that never really crossed my mind, with foods like brazil nuts, tuna and
seafood. Selenium has antioxidant properties so perhaps that will steadiness
out the bacon? The genes that DNAfit uses have to have been identified in
several clinical trials as useful to human health. Every section of the test compare
different genes to calculate your predilection to gain weight, pick up
injuries, or even how well your body detoxes the chemicals in charred meat. I
learn that the ACTN3 gene, for instance, is the run gene, which helps to produce
the fast-twitch muscle fibres that give shortdistance runners that stable
power. The FTO genetic material is the fat gene or the obesity gene. An
"AA" rating suggests that you are likely to convert fat straight to
fat, and a "TT" rating suggests that fat intake has little effect on
body weight. I also learn that while I can tolerate a certain amount of fat,
it's almost certainly best to lay off the barbecues - my detoxability factor
isn't great.
Lancashire stresses throughout the talk that the information
provided is just a baseline, and must be used wisely. A DNA test may tell you
you are not prone to injury but it won't know if your twice-fractured ankle
still gives you evils. I may in theory be able to exercise five to six times a
week, but as I have multiple sclerosis, there will be some weeks when under
your own steam to the shops is an achievement, let alone human being in the
front row at a spin course group.
The nature-vs-nurture discuss remains to the fore: how much
of our health is govern by environmental factors? Lifestyle, diet, stress, even
contamination can play key roles.
There is also a rather sinister side to genetic testing, and
the group has its fair share of sceptics and plot theorists. Our DNA is unique
like our fingerprints - the personal road map to our life and bodies. I merrily
swabbed inside my cheek and post off my unique in sequence without a second
thought and barely a glance at the stipulations and conditions. Critics fear
that in the future our DNA could be used by marketing agencies for targeted advertising,
and even indemnity companies to hike premiums or even disqualify people with original
potential conditions. For now, though, I'm happy to use my genetic information
to reintroduce milk to my diet, alter my training command and maybe even
consider cutting back on carbs. Only time will tell whether my new-found
genetic insight will get me reverse into the lean jeans...
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