starting strength gym
Results 1 to 8 of 8

Thread: "Conditioning" your genes?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Sep 2015
    Location
    Switzerland
    Posts
    160

    Default "Conditioning" your genes?

    • starting strength seminar april 2024
    • starting strength seminar jume 2024
    • starting strength seminar august 2024
    Is it possible to condition your genes through a lifetime of strength training in such a way that your offspring benefit?

    For example, take an individual at birth, and trace his life down two paths:

    - the first, Version A: he never lifts a weight, eats an average American diet, and by 40 is overweight and suffering from whatever diseases for which he is genetically pre-disposed.
    -the second path, Version B: he discovers the barbell at 15, becomes a SS early-adopter, and has the barbell in his hand for the rest of his life. At 40, he is fit, strong, low body fat and shows no signs of any diseases for which he may be genetically pre-disposed.

    If both of these people had children, would the children from Version B have "healthier" genes than Version A, simply because of Version B's healthier lifestyle "conditioning" his genes over time?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
    Posts
    10,199

    Default

    If both of these people had children, would the children from Version B have "healthier" genes than Version A, simply because of Version B's healthier lifestyle "conditioning" his genes over time?
    No.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Posts
    68

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Jordan Feigenbaum View Post
    No.
    I was under the impression that the data on epigenetic modifications secondary to diet/exercise is pretty strong -- at least that it happens, to a lesser extent how much it matters. Example relating to T2DM: The role of diet and exercise in the transgenerational epigenetic landscape of T2DM | Nature Reviews Endocrinology

    So it wouldn't be "conditioning" the genes per se, but rather altering heritable features that affect gene expression. So OP's person A might be expected to have diminished expression of mitochondrial genes, for example, secondary to heritable methylation (silencing) of an upstream regulator gene (e.g. PGC1a)

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
    Posts
    10,199

    Default

    Right, there is no doubt that epigenetic changes can occur due to significant environmental changes. However, I haven't seen good data that this leads to genetic changes that are passed on that mean anything.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jan 2017
    Posts
    334

    Default

    Any epigenetic effect would be completely overwhelmed by the difference in upbringing between active and sedentary parents. The latter is a rather large effect, whereas the former is somewhere between tiny and non-existent.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
    Posts
    10,199

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by convergentsum View Post
    Any epigenetic effect would be completely overwhelmed by the difference in upbringing between active and sedentary parents. The latter is a rather large effect, whereas the former is somewhere between tiny and non-existent.

    As we might expect when discussing the genetic effects on disease processes that are multifactorial, there's quite a bit of nuance here.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jun 2013
    Posts
    6,509

    Default

    "Nuance"


  8. #8
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
    Posts
    10,199

    Default

    starting strength coach development program
    That's gold.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •