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Training vs. genetics for top athletes

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    Are Olympians born for their sports?

  • Duration 2:40
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For the world's most talented athletes are demolishing records at the London Olympics -- entertaining us all and we would know what makes sense so good training of course is key -- but is there something in -- DNA.

It Jeffs makes him better than the rest of buttons on the phone is Stephen rock who works at the university -- he's the director of graduate studies.

For exercise physiology aging in genetics and he's looked into this so.

Professor -- -- just born this way.

Well in many cases yeah they do you have something special you take a look at that physique.

That gymnast compared to the rowers compared to the marathon runners compared to shot putters.

You're gonna pick out these athletes because of that physical structure of their bodies.

And those athletes who -- just.

Beyond.

Excellent.

Hussein bolt Michael Phelps these sorts of athlete.

You can see that their physical bodies.

Are matched almost perfectly to the demands of their sport.

But professor -- a lot of these these athletes have been training since they were little kids -- years of training.

Change your genetics in a way like did do you actually grow into your sport if you train for hours and hours on and -- your little.

Well your DNA is not gonna change so you're born with your DNA and -- not gonna change regardless of how long you live.

But certainly those.

Kids -- start early.

They make decent physical adaptations.

Specific to a sport.

Just because of the many hours -- their body is forced to participate in those activity.

-- there's been some discussion about the world records that have been said over these Olympic Games surely they'll be more to come -- well some say we're reaching our limit.

That we've reached -- lemonade or the peak human performance that over the next several years were not gonna -- these records broken we've actually sheets.

As athletes what you think about that.

I don't know -- aim as skeptical of that just because.

We.

Are.

Becoming smaller world.

And I think more and more people around the world we'll have the opportunity to participate in sport which I think it's great.

Which means more opportunity for these -- excellent athletes to find their niche.

In particular sport.

And then we have training techniques that are constantly developing.

And improving equipment changes training techniques all of these sorts of things.

I think we'll continue to see improvement at least during my life.

And good DNA doesn't hurt so that's and not at all held up a professor rob nice to have your expertise today thank you so much for the times are.

Thank you for the opportunity.