Hi,
I was wondering what are the limiting factors in our progression in one sport.
If individuals train the same way what are the reasons they do not reach the same level.
Could all athletes with the right training reach the same level ? If not what is the limiting factor and why ?
In: 4
There’s some really obvious mechanical things – someone who is 5 foot tall isn’t going to be able to lift as much as someone who is 6 ft even if they have the same training to achieve muscle mass – there’s not the mechanical leverage or the space to grow the muscles as big.
Then we get to more subtle often genetic / metabolic things. Michael Phelps for example has a genetic mutation that means he produces half as much lactic acid (a major cause of muscle pain and fatigue) when he exercises – you can’t train your body to do that, its just luck of genetics, he’ll always have less muscle fatigue than someone without this mutation. There are a lot of similar maybe less dramatic genetic advantages that may help some athletes tire less, or build muscle faster etc.
Some people have advantages that suit different sports, and some sports favor different abilities, but we’re not all starting on the same baseline of body mechanics or biology.
There are different types of muscle fibers, some are best for strength (lifting/muscular) and some are best for endurance (running/marathons). You are born with some ratio of these muscle fibers and while you can make some bigger and improve their function you don’t really change this proportion.
This is why some people are fairly muscular without much effort while others have good endurance without much training. But no one is born an elite athlete and everyone can improve with training. There are also other traits that can be affected by genetics. The genetic differences only matter at the top ends of professional competition and even then technique and skill can often overcome them.
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