Curated by Marco Tagliaferri
Science continues at a brisk pace and its achievements are also used in the field of sport. Thus was born the use of DNA to optimize performance. Thanks to the medical company we were able to have Raimondi's genes analyzed, to optimize his training plan.
What comes out of this analysis?
The data that come out of this analysis must be verified and carefully studied in order to optimize training, nutrition and supplementation, thus allowing the athlete's engine to run at its best.
The study of genes on a sports basis allows us to better understand the muscular structure, we can know if its predisposition is to explosive strength (more white fibers) to resistance (red fibers) or if it is a middle ground between the two. In this way it is possible to plan the workouts both on the basis of the type of sport carried out and on the characteristics of the athlete, by dosing the loads and training tools. In addition to these elements, important information concerns the ability to detoxify the body and the inflammatory response. These are components that allow us to understand how the athlete's body recovers and how it cleanses itself. Alongside these news that allow us to immediately adapt workloads, we are given a series of information on the ability to burn fat and sugars and on the possibility of better assimilating nutrients and vitamins, which we will discuss in the next issues.
Do you need the test?
Also on the basis of what is described above, the answer is affirmative, the DNA test is an extra tool, very important for planning the season of a high-level athlete, knowing better how his body will respond to the stimuli given and helping him if necessary. to recover optimally.
SOME EXAMPLES.
What does it mean: predisposition to the development of muscle fibers and how does it intervene?
This part of the test is essential to understand the type of engine we have in front of us and how to optimize it for the sports practiced. Wanting to take the results to extremes, we can also know which sports are most suitable for each person in order to direct them towards those from which they can obtain greater results. Once you could get this information with a biopsy, now it's easier.
But what does this test tell us? It tells us if our intermediate fibers have the predisposition to transform more easily into white or red fibers, if we are more sprinters or marathoners and therefore from here we can know how to structure the training loads, which tools to use and how often.
Let's take a step back and describe the different types of fibers:
White fibers are predisposed to explosive strength and speed, are called IIB and have both anaerobic and aerobic glycolytic lactacid metabolism. They take their name from the light color due in part to the lack of hemoglobin present within them.
The red fibers are suitable for slow and protracted movements over time. They are less energy-intensive and their color is due to the strong capillarization and presence of hemoglobin. They have a strong presence of mitochondria and are massively concentrated especially in the postural muscles.
There is also a third type of fibers, called intermediates or IIAs, which can change according to the stimuli to which they are subjected. These can become oxidative (red) or glycolytic (white) fibers depending on the training stimuli to which we subject our body.
This very brief summary to frame the speech we are going to make.
Knowing through the DNA test what kind of person I am in front of is important for orienting the workouts in order to allow the athlete's body to perform at its best. Speaking of enduro, where different skills are needed, it is clear that if I find myself training a person with a marked predisposition to the development of white fibers, I will work more on endurance, since his body will find it more difficult to adapt to the hours in the saddle. vice versa if I find myself training a person with a predisposition towards red fibers then strength and speed training will have more importance, this to try to balance the athlete and allow him to be competitive in every situation. The optimum will be to have an intermediate athlete, where the development of explosive and endurance fibers is similar, then in this case I will be able to work in a more balanced way knowing that there will be a more homogeneous development of the muscle.
WHAT HAPPENS IF I WORKOUT WRONG?
What can happen if I train a body predisposed to explosiveness with rapidity exercises? That the athlete in question will become massive, explosive but will struggle to withstand the duration of a race, while if I train a body with a predisposition to slow fibers only with endurance exercises and a few overloads, I will have an athlete capable of completing a marathon without major problems, but probably puny and without the watts needed during the HP.
From these brief descriptions we understand how the information that the DNA can give us is important in the construction of training plans
AND THE TEO?
At the beginning we said that Raimondi had undergone this test, what is the verdict? Regarding the muscle fibers, he has an intermediate predisposition, which allows you to develop and train all the components in a balanced way. For the sport of enduro it is certainly in an optimal situation, the only precaution to follow is to vary the work plan constantly to ensure complete stimulation of its muscles. In the coming months we will bring examples of how this information will be concretely implemented in your work plan
If the article intrigued you, on Monday 16 April at 20.30 pm, at the headquarters of Villa Finlinea Ganassin - Via Mazzini, 56 - Rosà (VI), presentation of the book within the evening "Evolution of the Research Center".
LINK TO THE EVENT
