Think about it: your DNA is 100% unique to YOU… how crazy is that?! Nobody else can do what you do: empowering? Yes. amazing? Also yes.
I’ve always been fascinated with genetics. When I started working in a lab at Penn State studying the human gut microbiome and sequencing the DNA of the bacteria that live inside of us, I was further intrigued with how our genes determine so many unique characteristics.
Our unique set of genetic material is exactly why someone can get “x” results from a workout routine while the same workouts do absolutely nothing for another person. This also applies to our diet, how well we sleep, how well we manage stress, recover from workouts, and how well our bodies are able to absorb certain nutrients!
After sequencing bacterial DNA for 2 years, I finally caved and bought a DNA test to sequence and analyze my own genes. The kit I bought is called DNAfit, which targets the genes that have been shown to affect various factors related to human health and wellbeing.
I was so excited to learn more about myself from this test. I believed that the results I would receive would give me the knowledge to make smart, educated decisions in living my healthiest lifestyle based on how my body is genetically designed to function.
(Some of) My Results
DNAfit offered an overwhelming amount of information, but for the sake of keeping this post as short as possible I only included a brief summary!
Genetic predisposition for how I respond to different types of training:
Genetic predisposition for optimal diet type:
Genetic predisposition for nutrient needs:
Genetic predisposition for factors related to stress & sleep.
How to Use Information About Your DNA
First, it is absolutely essential to point out that there are so many environmental and external factors that can “switch” genes on and off. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, the process of turning genes on and off is known as “gene regulation” (1). This is what makes a cell on our skin act differently than cells in our brain, cool!
One of these external factors involved in this process is nutrition: the substances we put in our bodies everyday, multiple times per day. Nutrients and hormones either act directly on gene regulation or indirectly through multiple pathways. Metabolic byproducts of vitamin A, vitamin D, essential fatty acids (omega-3 & omega-6), and zinc have a direct influence on which genes are “on” or “off” (2). This is one of the primary reasons why I’m so fascinated with the science of Nutrition and what food does in our bodies.
However, when it comes to looking at a DNA test, the test can only provide you with knowledge about the traits you are genetically predisposed to have due to the fluid nature of gene regulation. Our cells are constantly re-regulating to adapt to changing environments! Instead of using my genetic test results as “end-all-be-all” information, I believe they serve better as helpful baseline knowledge.
I can attest to the power of gene regulation as a marathon runner with a genotype that is better suited for power workouts than training for long races that usually require more endurance; seems ironic, right?
With that said, I’ve used a lot of the information from this test to better understand my strengths and weaknesses in regards to health and wellbeing. For example: I used the results to determine what vitamins and minerals I should be supplementing with based on how efficiently my cells are able to absorb them.
I still believe that DNA plays a very large role in many areas of overall health, and that a “healthy lifestyle” looks different for everyone! BUT our genetics are only one part of the big picture.
References
- “Can Genes Be Turned on and off in Cells? – Genetics Home Reference – NIH.” U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, 2020, ghr.nlm.nih.gov/primer/howgeneswork/geneonoff.
- Cousins, R J. “Nutritional Regulation of Gene Expression.” The American Journal of Medicine, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 25 Jan. 1999, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10089110.
