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Genetics as a limiting factor
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slavetogravity


Jan 6, 2006, 1:55 AM
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Yes, genetics plays a major role in how well you climb. To anyone who participated in sports during their childhood, inherent differences are obvious.

True, when your a child your genetics play a great role in how well you perform in sports. But as you age the role of your genetics becomes negligible.

How do you know this? Your bit about high school reunions is more about inactivity and eating habits, not natural talent.

Exactly. Eventually it all comes down to eating habits and how well you train and treat your body.
The only time in your life that this isn't so is when you’re a child. We all remember the kid in elementary school who ate heaps of food, never trained, but always managed to kick ass in gym class.

Your genetics will only get you so far, and eventually as we age we all reach a common ground where the only thing stopping us at being a better climbers are how well we treat our bodies.

I find the argument of "That guy's a better climber then me because he's been blessed with better genetics" is all B.S and is just sour grapes.

Somewhere out there, there’s a 5.13 climber just waiting to reach their potential, and that climber’s you.


jt512


Jan 6, 2006, 2:00 AM
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Most people never get to the level when genetics starts to limit their athletic achievements. Unless you classify a lack of will power, determination, and commitment as genetic traits.

Wow! Nicely said.

Jay


slavetogravity


Jan 6, 2006, 2:08 AM
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I have read a study on various running events and the people who win them. The study was in the Globe and Mail (Canadian) a few years back. The study found that the winners of certain events were almost always from the same areas or could trace their ancestral history back to those areas. I will try to find this study and post it. Do you think the guy who became a world class power lifter could have taken up track and field and won the marathon if he wanted to?


This smells like the same load of crap that suggests that black people are genetically superior athletes and the proof of this is found in the fact that so many sports (basketball, foot ball, long distance running) are all dominated buy people who are black.
What these studies fail to notice is that these people don't just share similar genetics but are also subjected to the same economic poverty.

So what's driving the guy who gets drafted buy the NBA or wins the Boston Marathon? Is it his genetics or is it his desire to release his life from living in some inner city ghetto or mud hut starving on the plains of Africa.


slavetogravity


Jan 6, 2006, 2:13 AM
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Most people never get to the level when genetics starts to limit their athletic achievements. Unless you classify a lack of will power, determination, and commitment as genetic traits.

Wow! Nicely said.

Jay

I'll second that.


porcelainsunset


Jan 6, 2006, 2:24 AM
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I just read an interesting article in Outside Magazine that talked about two genes and their relation to being an adrenalin junkie. It's actually the same gene, represented twice. In lab experiments with hamsters or some other unfortunate animal, they found that those having the gene only represented once where far more likely to put themselves into harms way. It appears that the gene helps create a protein that acts as an enzyme that triggers some sort of emotional sense of danger and respect for body. It is highly unlikely that a person would have only one gene represented, but it is possible that some my have less of the enzymes. Thus, making them more prone to do dangerous things or put their bodies into harms way. This of course, could give you a slight advantage in climbing, making you more willing to push through scary cruxs with more confidence while leading or something like that. However, it could also prove to be a great disadvantage, leading to an untimely death for those with to much balls, and not enough common sense or brains to keep themselves safe.

Just something that I though was related and interesting.


crotch


Jan 6, 2006, 2:45 AM
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Some people are injury prone and I'd bet that in addition to biomechanics there is a genetic component to injury susceptibility and also to recovery from injury.

How many elite athletes are held back by injury?


organic


Jan 6, 2006, 3:13 AM
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Yes, genetics plays a major role in how well you climb. To anyone who participated in sports during their childhood, inherent differences are obvious.

True, when your a child your genetics play a great role in how well you perform in sports. But as you age the role of your genetics becomes negligible.

How do you know this? Your bit about high school reunions is more about inactivity and eating habits, not natural talent.

We all have genetic differences. Just ask Chuck Darwin.

Ok say there are genetic differences that help peope climb 5.14 but think about it, the amount of people that climb V10+ and 5.13+ compared to the number of climbers in the world would invalidate that statement.

The chances someone who is genetically determined to be a better climber who actually climbs and enjoys it to the point of trying to climb hard would be so small. Either that or the "good climbing" gene runs rampant in the population of the world.

Just for arguments sake we will say that you are a "hard" climber. if you have brothers most likely they have the same gene, unless we are talking about abonormalities and chiasmata but that is high unlikely to occur so often. Say your brothers don't climb. Well if you have the gene it had to be passed down, how many men are in your extended family, do any of them climb? The chances that someone has the gene and climbs is highly unlikely.

How come no one ever correlates a ~2 hour marathon runner to genes? the odds of the billions of runners in the world to ~2 hour marathoners seems more plausible to be genetic than the 1000's of 5.13+ climbers to the couple million climbers in the world.
I have read a study on various running events and the people who win them. The study was in the Globe and Mail (Canadian) a few years back. The study found that the winners of certain events were almost always from the same areas or could trace their ancestral history back to those areas. I will try to find this study and post it. Do you think the guy who became a world class power lifter could have taken up track and field and won the marathon if he wanted to?

http://encarta.msn.com/...arathon_Winners.html

Do a search on any marathon and you are likely to find similar results. Nice try buddy. Though in some kenyans have dominated in recent years it is hardly epidemic in the marathons histories. The winners are as diverse as you can get.

I proved you wrong...


alexnees


Jan 6, 2006, 3:13 AM
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Come on...of COURSE genetics are a limiting factor. Note that the OP said "a" factor, not "the" factor. The points raised by many about training, diet, dedication, and head game are all valid and very true. Many things determine your climbing ability, and thankfully we can affect most of them.
But... given the same amount of training, the same diet, etc, two climbers can still end up in very different places. Biomechanically, the slightest variations can make large differences in performance. We all know that one skinny guy who looks like a rail, but can still pick up a fridge or throw a baseball out of the park. I've read *anecdotal* reports that emphasize the importance of variation in the location of muscle attachment points. Makes sense, right? Slightly different muscle orientations can increase or decrease the torque applied by a lever (say, a finger) for a given force exerted. If my fingers apply more torque for a given force than yours, than I will be a stronger climber, all else being equal.
Another (personal) example: my left elbow is weird...always has been. It's like it isn't attached quite right. The joint hyperextends slightly, and my left forearm projects at an odd angle relative to my upper arm. It's subtle, but noticeable. Is this biomechanically more efficient than the standard orientation? I doubt it. Is it why I constantly struggle with soreness in that elbow, and have to take time off from climbing frequently because of it? I wouldn't bet against it. A roll of the genetic dice has definitely impacted me and my performance there. Can I train hard and rise above it? Of course...but someone training equally hard will see greater performance gains in a given time period.
I have to agree with most of the posters, though. Almost no one is actually pushing directly against their genetic ceiling. The pros keep climbing harder routes, right? Dedication will take you as far as you need to go.


jred


Jan 6, 2006, 3:21 AM
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I have read a study on various running events and the people who win them. The study was in the Globe and Mail (Canadian) a few years back. The study found that the winners of certain events were almost always from the same areas or could trace their ancestral history back to those areas. I will try to find this study and post it. Do you think the guy who became a world class power lifter could have taken up track and field and won the marathon if he wanted to?


This smells like the same load of crap that suggests that black people are genetically superior athletes and the proof of this is found in the fact that so many sports (basketball, foot ball, long distance running) are all dominated buy people who are black.
What these studies fail to notice is that these people don't just share similar genetics but are also subjected to the same economic poverty.

So what's driving the guy who gets drafted buy the NBA or wins the Boston Marathon? Is it his genetics or is it his desire to release his life from living in some inner city ghetto or mud hut starving on the plains of Africa.
The study did not find that blacks were the best runners, all though they did find that the best long distance runners did come from or have ancestral history from the same area in Africa, the best one milers were found to be of Northern European descent, the best super milers were of Latin descent etc. They came up with some pretty strong numbers, I just thought it was kind of interesting and worth sharing. I will continue to look for the article and post it.
I do agree that socio-economics will play a large part in things, but I still think that genetics plays a larger part.


milominderbinder


Jan 6, 2006, 3:59 AM
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Come on...of COURSE genetics are a limiting factor. Note that the OP said "a" factor, not "the" factor. The points raised by many about training, diet, dedication, and head game are all valid and very true. Many things determine your climbing ability, and thankfully we can affect most of them..........

...

Ah, thank you, that was very well put, I'll agree with you on every point, i believe.

Genetics is a limiting factor (one of them), that is pretty much undeniable. Not all people are created equal. If genetics are going to be responsible for variations in young children, they are going to remain an inherent difference for life....Genetics do not change in a single person, the decisions you make in life just sometimes mask those differences.

It is still apparent in highschool, very easily, and surely farther on. There is always someone that doesn't train, or practice, yet is naturally good at some sport or another. I've seen them. And I always trained more than most in highschool (more weights and cardio), cos I'm pretty scrawny, and ate more than most, but I never could (and still can't) build muscle mass (which ultimately, has its advantages in some things), where others can. That's because I'm genetically predisposed to a certain body type.

There are these considerable variations, but there are also more subtle differences in how your body grows to be that are vital to how effective a climber you can be. Just cos you cannot see a difference doesn't mean it doesn't exist. As was said, muscle locations have an effect. Some people are genetically predisposed to have a stronger grip. This tends to make a better climber. They can further improve it through training, more than the average person can.

All of these things have to do with genetics, and they effect how well you can climb. Odds are, not matter how hard most of us train, we'll never be Sharma, or Caldwell, etc.


boardline22


Jan 6, 2006, 4:12 AM
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Somewhere out there, there’s a 5.13 climber just waiting to reach their potential, and that climber’s you.

corny :roll:


goob3r


Jan 6, 2006, 4:16 AM
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Don't listen to what anyone on here has to say about physiology or muscles this and DNA that. You'll know you're at your limit when you fail a problem, can't run any higher and have to call it. But that's the beautiful thing about failing, you just gotta get back up and try again... and that's all anyone should worry about when competing against gravity.

I don't think genetics has much to do with limitations (other than morbid obesity and muscular dystrophy per se) in climbing as much as it does in other sports or facets of physical activity. I've seen old ladies climb v-2's and 12 year old shrimps scale v-5's.. and yawn at the top.. it just depends on when you decide to call it quits.


thorne
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Jan 6, 2006, 1:26 PM
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I have read a study on various running events and the people who win them. The study was in the Globe and Mail (Canadian) a few years back. The study found that the winners of certain events were almost always from the same areas or could trace their ancestral history back to those areas. I will try to find this study and post it. Do you think the guy who became a world class power lifter could have taken up track and field and won the marathon if he wanted to?


This smells like the same load of crap that suggests that black people are genetically superior athletes and the proof of this is found in the fact that so many sports (basketball, foot ball, long distance running) are all dominated buy people who are black.
What these studies fail to notice is that these people don't just share similar genetics but are also subjected to the same economic poverty.

So what's driving the guy who gets drafted buy the NBA or wins the Boston Marathon? Is it his genetics or is it his desire to release his life from living in some inner city ghetto or mud hut starving on the plains of Africa.

Some people are so open minded their brains fallout. Your perspective on blacks in pro sports is pure fantasy. :roll: Think Spud Webb. He could leap (vertically) over 60% of height.
http://www.spudwebb.net/spud1.jpg

I'm not saying any of ever reach our limits. I believe we're all capapble of much more then what we think is possible. But ignoring the fact that genetics plays a role in athletics(sp?) is just nonsense.


jred


Jan 6, 2006, 7:05 PM
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I have read a study on various running events and the people who win them. The study was in the Globe and Mail (Canadian) a few years back. The study found that the winners of certain events were almost always from the same areas or could trace their ancestral history back to those areas. I will try to find this study and post it. Do you think the guy who became a world class power lifter could have taken up track and field and won the marathon if he wanted to?


This smells like the same load of crap that suggests that black people are genetically superior athletes and the proof of this is found in the fact that so many sports (basketball, foot ball, long distance running) are all dominated buy people who are black.
What these studies fail to notice is that these people don't just share similar genetics but are also subjected to the same economic poverty.

So what's driving the guy who gets drafted buy the NBA or wins the Boston Marathon? Is it his genetics or is it his desire to release his life from living in some inner city ghetto or mud hut starving on the plains of Africa.

Some people are so open minded their brains fallout. Your perspective on blacks in pro sports is pure fantasy. :roll: Think Spud Webb.

I'm not saying any of ever reach our limits. I believe we're all capapble of much more then what we think is possible. But ignoring the fact that genetics plays a role in athletics(sp?) is just nonsense
Where did I say a single thing about blacks in the above post? Why the assumption? Did I even mention pro sports? If you read my response you would have seen that the study mentioned nothing about blacks in particular. The study tried to show how certain athletic qualities could be traced to certain areas in the world.


jred


Jan 6, 2006, 7:17 PM
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Yes, genetics plays a major role in how well you climb. To anyone who participated in sports during their childhood, inherent differences are obvious.

True, when your a child your genetics play a great role in how well you perform in sports. But as you age the role of your genetics becomes negligible.

How do you know this? Your bit about high school reunions is more about inactivity and eating habits, not natural talent.

We all have genetic differences. Just ask Chuck Darwin.

Ok say there are genetic differences that help peope climb 5.14 but think about it, the amount of people that climb V10+ and 5.13+ compared to the number of climbers in the world would invalidate that statement.

The chances someone who is genetically determined to be a better climber who actually climbs and enjoys it to the point of trying to climb hard would be so small. Either that or the "good climbing" gene runs rampant in the population of the world.

Just for arguments sake we will say that you are a "hard" climber. if you have brothers most likely they have the same gene, unless we are talking about abonormalities and chiasmata but that is high unlikely to occur so often. Say your brothers don't climb. Well if you have the gene it had to be passed down, how many men are in your extended family, do any of them climb? The chances that someone has the gene and climbs is highly unlikely.

How come no one ever correlates a ~2 hour marathon runner to genes? the odds of the billions of runners in the world to ~2 hour marathoners seems more plausible to be genetic than the 1000's of 5.13+ climbers to the couple million climbers in the world.
I have read a study on various running events and the people who win them. The study was in the Globe and Mail (Canadian) a few years back. The study found that the winners of certain events were almost always from the same areas or could trace their ancestral history back to those areas. I will try to find this study and post it. Do you think the guy who became a world class power lifter could have taken up track and field and won the marathon if he wanted to?

http://encarta.msn.com/...arathon_Winners.html

Do a search on any marathon and you are likely to find similar results. Nice try buddy. Though in some kenyans have dominated in recent years it is hardly epidemic in the marathons histories. The winners are as diverse as you can get.

I proved you wrong...
You have most certainly not proven me wrong. You have shown one race on one continent. You have failed to show that a larger percentage of Kenyan's have not won even this race. You have not looked into the non-Kenyan's ancestral background. You have not provided a list of the top ten finishers in that race. Get the results from at least twenty different marathons spanning at least thirty years. List the top twenty finishers, find out their cultural background, then you might want to figure out what percentage of the racers were Kenyan in each race, and so on.
This view is not necessarily mine, as I have said before I just found it interesting and it seemed to be related to the thread.


goob3r


Jan 7, 2006, 7:36 AM
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you're all racist, get over it :lol:


lostdog


Jan 7, 2006, 1:05 PM
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you're all racist, get over it :lol:

Cartman: I don't hate black people. I hate hippies. :lol:

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