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DNA tests have been around for quite some time now, and while there are countless professional uses for them, their availability to the general public is fairly new. Today, there are all kinds of services that can provide you with a detailed report of everything concerning your genetic makeup, for whatever reason you might need that information.
For me, using DNA tests to improve your physical health and fitness is actually one of its more fascinating uses. Plain and simple, a DNA test can actually help you get into better shape. They can tell us things about our own bodies that we are otherwise oblivious to, which in turn is information that can be used to make getting into top physical shape as efficient as possible.
Weight Control
How efficient your body is at burning fat is highly dependent on genetics. Unfortunately for some, this is something you cannot change. Nevertheless, having a confirmation that genetics indeed are (or aren’t) the obstacle standing between you and the body you’ve always dreamed of can help you devise a good plan on how to tackle that particular problem.
Personally, I’ve always struggled with keeping weight off and anything high in sugar goes straight from my lips to my hips. It takes a rigorous dieting and fitness regime for me to keep it off. That may or may not be the case for you, but the only way you can know for sure is to take a close look at your genetic profile.
Disease Awareness
One of the most obvious reasons for taking a DNA test is to protect your own health. Diseases like cancer, diabetes, and heart disease can all potentially run in your family and the sooner you learn this, the better. A DNA test can accurately tell you how likely you are to suffer from specific diseases just by looking at your genetic makeup, which is helpful to know before treatment is necessary. This allows you to adjust your lifestyle accordingly and reduce your personal health risks.
Pinpointing Your Perfect Diet
Everybody and every body is very different. Our bodies all react in their own way to various food, types of exercise, and so on. Not all of us require the same amount of protein, vitamins, antioxidants, or carbohydrates. A DNA test can get very specific about this and tell you just what your nutritional breakdown should look like, as well as reveal your sensitivities or allergies to things like lactose or gluten (which a lot of people seem to be suffering from these days).
A diet that your body is happy with is key in health and fitness, so a DNA test is certainly helpful long before you even touch those weights at the gym.
Genetic Strengths and Weaknesses
Finally, I’d like to stress that a good DNA test can really tell you a lot about your specific physical prowess, helping you understand which type of exercise you should invest yourself in.
Again I’ll use myself as an example; I’ve always been flexible with exceptionally “bendy” joints, to the point that I could hyperextend my knees and my elbows more than the average person. This hyperelasticity stems from the fact that my ligaments are naturally weaker than that of the average person and puts me at a greater risk of tearing one as compared to the average person.
Once armed with this information I knew to avoid any and all exercises that would put my joints under excess stress. This kind of info is simply invaluable if you want to get serious about fitness, helping you understand the inherent strengths of your body to hone just as much as the weaknesses that make you prone to injury.
