If you have already had trouble following the spin class or if you have wondered why the Sprint training is very brutal, you may be right to blame it on your genes – or more precisely, the genes of your old cousins.
A new study By researchers from Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, the Okinawa Institute of Sciences and Technology and the Swedish Karolinska Institute have revealed that some modern humans carry a Neanderthal genetic variant that hinders muscle performance.
Published in Nature communicationsResearch suggests that this old gene could halve the chances of a person to become an elite athlete.
The genetic heritage of Neanderthals
So what exactly is this gene and why is it important for our body today? The research team identified a variant of the AMPD1 gene that some of us inherited the Neanderthals. Their results show that all Neanderthals wore this specific variant, which is absent in other species.
AMPD1 is an important enzyme for energy production in muscle cells, supporting normal muscle function. According to the press releaseThe mutations that harm the AMPD1 are in fact the most common cause of Metabolic myopathy (Genetic disorders interfering with the production of energy of muscle cells) in Europeans, affecting nine at 14% of people.
By analyzing ancient DNA alongside modern human genomes, the researchers confirmed that the Neanderthal variant slipped into our genetic pool about 50,000 years ago, when Neanderthals and modern humans prohibited themselves in Europe and Western Asia.
Find out more: Neanderthals may have directed their own big factories 125,000 years ago
The gene variant has an impact
Laboratory tests have shown that human enzymes with this Neanderthal variant had 25% less AMPD1 activity. When scientists introduced it into genetically modified mice, enzymatic activity in muscle tissue has dropped with an amazing 80% and seriously.
However, for most people who wear it, about two to eight percent of Europeans today, life continues without major problems. Dominik Macak, the first author of the study, explained in the declaration: “Surprisingly, most of the individuals who carry the variant do not encounter important health problems. However, the enzyme seems to play an important role in sports performance. ”
Indeed, when the researchers examined the genetic data of more than a thousand elite athletes of various sports, they found that those bearing an AMPD1 non -functional were about half of the least measure of reaching high -level sports status. The effect was similar both in endurance and electric sports, suggesting the broad importance of the enzyme for physical performance.
What it means beyond sport
So why would Neanderthals wear a gene that potentially weakens muscle production? The main author Hugo Zeberg suggests that technological and cultural advances may have reduced the need for extreme physical operations, both in Neanderthals and modern humans.
In addition to sporting performance, carriers of AMPD1 variants also have a slightly increased risk (about three to six percent) of the development of varicose veins. However, in contemporary Western societies, where extreme muscle performance is rarely necessary for survival, this genetic oddity has moderate relevance.
Researchers point out that understanding these old gene variants can shed light on our health, our performance and genetic diversity today. The study of these genes in a physiological and evolving perspective could help explain not only why some people are less athletic than others, but also how our bodies have adapted – and continue to adapt – through millennia.
Find out more: What was the strength of ancient humans?
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Having worked as a biomedical research assistant in laboratories in three countries, Jenny excels in translating complex scientific concepts – ranging from medical breakthroughs and pharmacological discoveries to the last nutritions – into accessible and engaging content. His interests extend to subjects such as human evolution, psychology and stories of eccentric animals. When it is not immersed in a popular scientific book, you will find it to catch waves or sail on the island of Vancouver on its longboard.
