{"product":{"product_id":"161723012X","title":"The Sports Gene: Inside the Science of Extraordinary Athletic Performance","price":"15.99","image_url":"https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51RJBIEWmDL._SL500_.jpg","url":"https://www.amazon.com/dp/161723012X"},"comments":[{"body":"Some people just aren't as talented as others lol. It's like when you put in hard work to achieve something but someone who's a natural also achieves it without much work. There was an interesting book on this topic when it comes to athletics called \"The Sports Gene: Inside the Science of Extraordinary Athletic Performance\" \r\n\r\nI highly recommend reading if you ever have the time:\r\n\r\nhttps://www.amazon.com/Sports-Gene-Extraordinary-Athletic-Performance/dp/161723012X","subreddit_name":"nba","author":"Erw11n"},{"body":"People living at higher altitudes gain increased resilience over generations, and not without drawbacks. Examples of early adaptations are increased red blood cell count (increasing heart attack, stroke, and blood clot chance) and changes in organ size. Only after hundreds of years do these tend to normalize into adaptations without increased health risks.\r\n\r\nSo yes, as the carbon content increases you might see some changes in human biology over several hundred years. However, no *individual person* will change significantly, only their descendants. And the corollary to that is that, for selective change to occur, people with advantageous traits will need to **survive more often than those without**.\r\n\r\nIn other words, if people will adapt, as you claim, it will be because it killed those who didn't, at least a little more often. Why the hell would that reassure me in any way?\r\n\r\nThe studies linked showed inconsistent effects on relatively small increases in CO2 content; it also states (if you'd read it) that large changes (over 5% concentration) like those found in submarines or low-ventilation spaces have **known negative cognitive effects**.\r\n\r\nSo your example of submariners is basically bunk.\r\n\r\nCare to try for a third time? Maybe not spouting unsourced, ludicrous claims about humans just magically becoming fine with fundamental changes to our living conditions?\r\n\r\nSource for the high-altitude claims: [The Sports Gene](https://www.amazon.ca/Sports-Gene-Extraordinary-Athletic-Performance/dp/161723012X), a rather good book.","subreddit_name":"science","author":"The-Corinthian-Man"},{"body":"There has been some quality scientific literature on this. [The Sport's Gene](https://www.amazon.com/Sports-Gene-Extraordinary-Athletic-Performance/dp/161723012X) is where I first saw this issue raised. Epstein does a great job of synthesizing the scientific findings with anecdotal sports references. Apparently it's a huge advantage. It's not just hormonal differences. There's differences in bone density, differences in height, bone structure, hip function, fat to muscle ratio just to name a few, which translate to huge advantages in endurance and strength across a variety of sports. I cannot recall any sport where it was advantageous to be a women over a man, but it's been a few years since I read the book and the trans/man/woman comparison wasn't a major portion of the book. \r\n\r\nE: Found a list online of the characteristics Epstein discussed if anyone is curious.\r\n\r\nAmong the key physical differences between the sexes. Men are / possess\r\n\r\n- heavier and taller\r\n\r\n- longer arms and legs relative to their height\r\n\r\n- biggest hearts and lungs, thus able to absorb and process more oxygen\r\n\r\n- twice as likely to be left-handed (high physical combat societies have more numbers of lefties – this arose due to natural selection as lefties have an advantage in combat)\r\n\r\n- less fat\r\n\r\n- denser bones, and a heavier skeleton that can support more muscle\r\n\r\n- more oxygen-carrying red blood cells\r\n\r\n- narrower hips which makes running more efficient and decreases the chances of ACL tears (epidemic in female athletes) while running and jumping\r\n\r\n- 80% more muscle mass in upper body and 50% more in lower body","subreddit_name":"AskALiberal","author":"sbaker93"},{"body":"In trying to understand where you're coming from, I saw your (deleted) post on Phil's describing of differences b/w black and white players in his book.  \r\n\r\nWhile it may be scandalous or taboo today, noting differences (or non-identical average tendencies) b/w races used to be fair game.  It interested both blacks and whites ([see here](https://www.amazon.com/Sports-Gene-Extraordinary-Athletic-Performance/dp/161723012X) where the author of *Sports Gene* notes that both Obama and Condoleeza Rice purchased his book).","subreddit_name":"nba","author":"jdjdthrow"},{"body":"https://www.amazon.com/Sports-Gene-Extraordinary-Athletic-Performance/dp/161723012X\r\n\r\n2014 apparently. Different countries/academies have different philosophies though. I don't remember him ever actually mentioning size/strength but it was entirely to do with pace. Neither were very fast but they're also slow by the standards of professional players.","subreddit_name":"soccer","author":"petasta"},{"body":"I vaguely remember hearing that [The sports gene](https://www.amazon.com/Sports-Gene-Extraordinary-Athletic-Performance/dp/161723012X) had some description about a combo of fast twitch muscles and weight distribution on legs and torso:body ratios are some of the key things. Like you can build models and show how physically different body ratios help, then verify different ratios (supposedly also why caucus people win so much at weightlifting?, because of the opposite torso:body ratio)","subreddit_name":"nfl","author":"ThinkAboutCosts"},{"body":"Read that along with David Epstein's [The Sports Gene](https://www.amazon.com/Sports-Gene-Extraordinary-Athletic-Performance/dp/161723012X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8\u0026amp;qid=1484365736\u0026amp;sr=8-1\u0026amp;keywords=the+sports+gene) at like the same time. Honestly say it changed the way I look at sports. ","subreddit_name":"baseball","author":"Yankeefan333"},{"body":"I highly recommend [The Sports Gene](http://www.amazon.com/The-Sports-Gene-Extraordinary-Performance/dp/161723012X) if you are interested in the interplay between nature v. nurture and sports. For a book that has a lot of science, it's an easy read and pretty fascinating. I can't remember specifics right now, but it definitely touches on some of the mental element, including competitive desire and drive. ","subreddit_name":"running","author":"kkruns"},{"body":"Genetics definitely play a role, even if they're not the only factor.\r\n\r\nHaven't seen it mentioned here yet, but there's a book, [The Sports Gene](http://www.amazon.com/The-Sports-Gene-Extraordinary-Performance/dp/161723012X), that explores this very topic. ","subreddit_name":"explainlikeimfive","author":"wejustwontbedefeated"},{"body":"Great comment. David Epstein discusses chess in the this light in [The Sports Gene](http://www.amazon.com/The-Sports-Gene-Extraordinary-Performance/dp/161723012X), a great book that talks about the relationship between \"effort\" (i.e. memorization) and natural talent in mastering certain tasks/games. \r\n\r\nIt's mostly about athletic sports, but there's an extended section on chess. Elite competitors in other sports see the field of play in much the same way that grandmasters see chess boards. They can remember where everyone on the field/board is in fractions of a second, so fast that it would beggar belief if you didn't know an explanation was forthcoming. They're able to do this because of the relationships they see between pieces/players, e.g. when Peyton Manning looks at an NFL defense, he disregards the possibility that a defensive lineman would be covering a wide receiver downfield. It's a permissible arrangement of the players on the field, but it is utterly implausible, like a huge portion of the possible legal arrangements of pieces on a chess board. \r\n\r\nWhich makes me wonder what percentage of all possible chess games are reasonably plausible. My intuitive guess is that it's closer to 10^0 than 10^1. ","subreddit_name":"askscience","author":"prof_talc"},{"body":"There's a lot of contributing factors, genetics, environmental, historical and also culturally. It's not just \\*one\\* thing that makes them stronger athletes, but it's the combination of many things. There's a lot to unpack so i'll just put a few points.\r\n\r\n* Jamaica has two big sports, football (soccer) and track. The national championships for Track and Field really are a national thing, bringing out fans from all over the country. It's like Jamaica's Super Bowl, the stadium of 35,000 seats sells out, it's broadcast on national TV live, the winners are considered national heroes, etc.\r\n* Every school in Jamaica offers track and field and several schools are noted for their very high level programs. To the extent that parents will move across the island and pay their life savings to send their kids to the school and be coached.\r\n* The high levels of money that Jamaica invests in these schools and their programs, including top level facilities, equipment and coaching.\r\n* Consistent weather year round that allows for outdoor training.\r\n* A lot of people tend to suggest that people of East and West African descent tend to have [longer achilles tendon and stronger bone density](https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/34/5/391) in the heel. Although there isn't much real evidence to corroborate this as a defining factor.\r\n* In Usain Bolt's [Autobiography](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18240402-faster-than-lightning) he talks about how he grew up in Trewlany, Jamaica and his childhood involved a lot of chores, including hauling buckets of water and food, walking/running to school, sports and other types of physical activity that was part of growing up in the country and is very common among Jamaican children. Such high levels of structured and unstructured exercise during childhood tend to help kids gain more foundational physical conditioning that can influence their capabilities as an athlete later on.\r\n* The typical diet on Jamaica is very healthy, with a lot of fruits and vegetables that consist of complex carbohydrates.\r\n* A lot of Jamaicans (and many East/West Africans) view elite sport as their ticket out of poverty, so they really commit to the training and competition over almost everything else. The pressure is placed on kids often at a very young age.\r\n* The Trewlany region of Jamaica traces its history back to Guerilla Warfare by the [Maroons](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jamaican_Maroons) which were former slaves of the Spanish who fled when the British invaded the Island. The British took control of the Island and attempted to engage with the Maroons many times, but the landscape and guerilla warfare helped the Maroons defeat the British. Unfortunately, many of the Maroons were eventually deported, but they did return to the Island.\r\n* The landscape of Jamaica is very hilly, grassy and with beaches that, while part of the physical activity of daily life, lend itself well to training and reduction of injuries.\r\n\r\nThere are many factors at play, each individual is different of course but there are a lot of consistent themes in the background of each elite sprinter from Jamaica which contributes to their capabilities and rankings as an athlete.\r\n\r\nThere's some great books that cover this topic, [The Sports Gene](https://www.amazon.com/Sports-Gene-Extraordinary-Athletic-Performance/dp/161723012X), [Faster Than Lightning](https://www.amazon.com/Faster-than-Lightning-My-Autobiography/dp/000737142X), [Faster, Higher, Stronger](https://www.amazon.com/Faster-Higher-Stronger-Generation-Superathletes-ebook/dp/B00INIXN9Q)Hope this helps!\r\n\r\n\u0026amp;#x200B;\r\nEdit: Also, cricket. ","subreddit_name":"olympics","author":"bttrflyr"},{"body":"I actually agree with you on some level, but the issue is not so black and white. Have you heard of [Hyperandrogenism](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperandrogenism)? It's a condition where some women naturally produce too many androgens such as testosterone, and as a result they perform better in athletics than women who don't. In fact, a group of elite female athletes were tested for this condition and [it was presented 140x higher than the general population](https://academic.oup.com/jcem/article/99/11/4328/2836760). \r\n\r\n[The IAAF introduced a policy to exclude women with hyperandrogenism](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2018/04/27/female-athletes-with-naturally-high-testosterone-levels-face-hurdles-under-new-iaaf-rules/?utm_term=.b2d850d93436), or force them to take birth control pills to artificially lower their hormones. It caused much controversy and is now suspended.\r\n\r\nThis begs the question, where is the line exactly? If women with hyperandrogenism are allowed, then why not trans women? Or if we ban women with hyperandrogenism, why don't we ban men with hyperandrogenism? I bet if you look at cis women who break world records, a few of them will have hyperandrogenism. \r\n\r\nWhen it comes to elite levels of athletics, biology DOES play a factor. For example, the reason why many female gymnasts are so short is not because they grew up tumbling, it's because at higher elite levels of gymnastics they can rotate faster if they're shorter. But does that mean short women have an \"advantage\" over tall women? Should we split up gymnastics by height?\r\n\r\nThat's why this issue puzzles me as well. I think it's all very grey and I'm not sure what the solution is.\r\n\r\nEDIT: I highly recommend reading [The Sports Gene](https://www.amazon.com/Sports-Gene-Extraordinary-Athletic-Performance/dp/161723012X) by David Epstein, he does a deep dive on how genetics plays into sports. It doesn't really answer OP's question but interesting nonetheless.","subreddit_name":"changemyview","author":"kobot"},{"body":"As sports have evolved heights have gotten a lot more specialized. The average basketball player height has increased and the average gymnast height has dropped.\r\n\r\nThere's a book called The Sports Gene by David Epstein that goes into great depth about all of this, stuff like why Jamaica has great sprinters and why Kenya has great runners. It also disputes the \"10000 hours rule\" and talks about how people adapt to training differently. It's an amazing book and it really changed the way I look at sports. I highly recommend it, one of my all time favs.\r\n\r\nhttps://www.amazon.com/Sports-Gene-Extraordinary-Athletic-Performance/dp/161723012X\r\n\r\nHere's a short TED talk where he gives an overview of the book.\r\n\r\nhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8COaMKbNrX0","subreddit_name":"reddevils","author":"DisgracedCubFan"},{"body":"I really enjoyed [The Sports Gene](https://www.amazon.com/Sports-Gene-Extraordinary-Athletic-Performance/dp/161723012X/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8\u0026amp;qid=1641166594\u0026amp;sr=1-1) when I read it several years ago.","subreddit_name":"xxfitness","author":"bittybro"},{"body":"To make Kenya more interesting, most of the Kenyan runners are from [The Kalenjin tribe.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalenjin_people)  If you want to get into more of how this came about, read [The Sports Gene.](https://www.amazon.ca/Sports-Gene-Extraordinary-Athletic-Performance/dp/161723012X)\r\n\r\nI recall an early Nairobi Marathon in the mid 00's where the winner was a forest guard in the Aberdare mountains, so he lived at about 4000 meters above sea level.  It was not a well paid job and he did not have any real training, he just ran for recreation.  When asked what he was going to do with the not-insubstantial prize money, he replied, \"well, I need a better pair of shoes.\"","subreddit_name":"MapPorn","author":"mks113"}]}