How Exercise Changes your Body, Mind And… Genetics?

We exercise for all sorts of reasons. Some do it feel good in their bodies, some feel it improves their mental health or stress management abilities, and others take part in exercise to lose weight or improve their health. All of these reasons are great, but we’re about to add another fantastic reason to keep your body moving - it literally changes the molecules in the human body that influence how genes behave.

Sounds crazy right? Let’s dig into the research…

YES, YOUR TRAINING CAN ALTER YOUR GENETIC RISK OF DISEASE

Have you ever heard the expression “your genetics load the gun, your lifestyle and environment pull the trigger”? It’s true! We are all born with genetics that influence our likelihood of developing certain diseases or chronic health conditions like heart disease, type 2 diabetes and stroke. It was once thought that this was unable to be changed - that you were just more likely to develop certain health issues and that was that. But research now shows that exercise and general activity levels can alter the way these genes express, reducing your likelihood of developing conditions that you are genetically predisposed to get at some point.

A study of identical twins (who obviously share identical sets of DNA) confirmed this, with the activity levels of each twin shown to alter which diseases they got over their lifetime. The study suggests that markers of metabolic disease are strongly influenced by how a person interacts with their environment as opposed to just their inherited genetics.

So that’s awesome news - all of us taking part in exercise regularly are less likely to develop serious disease! But what about how genetics play into the other results we get from exercise?

DO MY GENETICS INFLUENCE HOW MY BODY RESPONDS TO TRAINING?

You may have noticed that everyone responds differently to exercise - of course, some of that is down to type of exercise, consistency, intensity and how well our nutrition and recovery processes support our desired outcome. But largely our body’s response to exercise is down to our genetics.

Some of us naturally develop muscle more easily or are naturally more lean - our genetics also determine where we store fat (that’s why you can’t “burn fat” off only your stomach or arms or hips). Genes can determine which type of exercise you’re better at (like strength or cardio). This doesn’t mean that it’s impossible to change your body shape or to improve your strength or fitness because of some genetic predisposition. It just means in some areas you may have to work a little harder than others!

For best results, the basics remain the same for everyone (regardless of body type and genetics):

taking part in regular strength and cardiovascular training for healthy muscle mass and strong heart

keeping active day to day with 6,000-10,000 steps

drinking 1.5-2.5 litres of water daily

eating 2 serves of fruit and 5 serves of vegetables, along with wholegrains, lean protein, healthy fats like avocado, nuts and olive oil

aiming for 7-9 hours of quality sleep a night