By Sinnie Sarker
Genetics testing services are currently in high demand on the market, especially ancestry tests. It is well known that our genes not only unlock our ancestry histories but also reveal important information about our health. We’ve all heard about genetic disorders and getting tested for them, but have you heard of genetic tests that make you a workout and diet plan?
FitnessGenes is a genetic testing service that predicts how individuals should exercise and eat based on their genetic results. Essentially they collect genetic and lifestyle information to form a personalized nutrition and workout plan. The service tests genetic variations that have effects on physical fitness, metabolism, and sensitivity to a high fat diet. All in all, they formulate a more efficient way of reaching your health goal by emphasizing how each person’s needs are different and relying on one method to reach an idealized health goal is ineffective.
So how does this service work? You order a DNA test kit, send a saliva sample, and they analyze the sample by looking at variations in over 40 genes that each have their own implications. Think 23andMe’s Health + Ancestry service but FitnessGenes analyzes your DNA in order to help you maintain your health. It is basically your DNA providing you with step-by-step instructions to help you be the healthiest version of yourself that you can be.
After all, “healthy” is different for everyone. A simple yet fantastic example of this and how this is incorporated into the mechanism of FitnessGenes is a gene that affects the sleep cycle. Sleep cycle can affect weight loss, athletic performance, muscle building, and cognition.
A CC variation in the Clock gene, a gene associated with circadian rhythm, can indicate that you are a “night owl.” People with this gene are not going to get the same benefits when working out in the morning as they are going to get when working out later in the day. Based on this DNA analysis, people can plan their exercise schedules centered around a certain time of the day, when they are likely to be more active. Depending on the variation of the gene that you have, you can plan an exercise routine that would maximize your benefits.
Why is this relevant in your life? Well this is a revolutionary new way in which people can plan their diet and fitness routine according to what their DNA says is best for them. But why not get a personal trainer from the gym to help you obtain your ideal health goal? Genetic analysis gets to the personal side of getting in shape, as you are responsible for implementing a plan that is not biased and is not modeled after an unattainable standard.
For example, if your Clock gene confirms that exercising in the morning would not help you, you can plan accordingly and don’t have to adhere to an uncomfortable schedule of working out in the morning just because it is recommended by others. If you’re constantly working out when you aren’t getting the most benefits, you are less likely to continue the routine. you will know what specifically to focus on and even prevent committing to latest (ineffective) diet fads.