Wired reports on research on genes that might be correlated with athletic performance, specifically in running. Here is an excerpt:
They found that sprinters tend to have one version of the gene, alpha-actinin-3 or ACTN3, while long-distance runners tend to have a different version, ACTN2.
Neurogeneticist Kathryn North and her colleagues at the University of Sydney in Australia also found that more elite sprinters had not one but two copies of the alpha-actinin-3 gene. ACTN3 creates the code for a protein produced exclusively in “fast-twitch” muscle fibers — they’re fueled by glucose and are essential for power and speed.
“This suggests that the presence of alpha-actinin-3 has a beneficial effect on the function of skeletal muscle in generating forceful contractions at high velocity, and provides an evolutionary advantage because of increased sprint performance,” the authors wrote.
Endurance runners, on the other hand, often have two copies of ACTN2, which creates the code for a protein produced exclusively in “slow-twitch” muscle fibers. Long-distance runners typically have slow-twitch muscles. Instead of glucose, slow-twitch muscles are fueled by oxygen, and are responsible for sustained exercise.
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