Personal genetics has obvious applications to physical fitness and performance: Heck AL, Barroso CS, Callie ME, Bray MS. Gene-nutrition interaction in human performance and exercise response. Nutrition . 2004;20:598-602. Also: Rankinen T, Bray MS, Hagberg JM, Pérusse, Roth SM, Wolfarth B, Bouchard C. The human gene map for performance and health-related fitness phenotypes: the 2005 update. Med Sci Sports Exerc . 2006:1863-1888.
The ACE gene has a variant that's associated with: Folland J, Leach B, Little T, Hawker K, Myerson S, Montgomery H, Jones D. Angiotensin-converting enzyme genotype affects the response of human skeletal muscle to functional overload. Exper Physiol. 2000;85:575-579.
A variant of the ACTN3 gene is associated with: Yang N, MacArthur DG, Gulbin JP, Hahn AG, Beggs AH, Easteal S, North K. ACTN3 genotype is associated with human elite athletic performance. Am J Hum Genet . 2003;73:627-631.
Physical activity, ACTN3 and body composition: Moran CN, Yang N, Bailey MES, Tsiokanos A, Jamurtas A, MacArthur DG, North K, Pitsiladis YP, Wilson RH. Eur J Hum Genet . 2007;15:88-93.
Exercise and regulation of blood sugar: Kraniou Y, Cameron-Smith D, Misso M, Collier G, Hargreaves M. Effects of exercise on GLUT-4 and glycogenin gene expression in human skeletal muscle. J Appl Physiol . 2000;88:794-796. Also: McGee SL, Hargreaves M. Exercise and skeletal muscle glucose transporter4 expression: molecular mechanisms. Clin Exper Pharmacol Physiol . 2006;33:395-399.
IL6 and response of HDL-cholesterol to exercise: Halverstadt A, Phares DA, Roth S, Ferrell RE, Goldberg AP, Hagberg JM. Interleukin-6 genotype is associated with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol responses to exercise training. Biochim Biophys Acta . 2005;1734:143-151.
Why should I exercise?: The information in this section was based on the Journal of the American Medical Association patient page, Torpy JM, Lynm C, Glass RM. Fitness. JAMA . 2005;294:3048.
Motivation to Move - 50% of Americans are not physically active: The website of the Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/physical/importance/index.htm. Accessed September 11, 2006.
Motivation to Move - The weekly amount of time people spend in front of their television: Bennett GG, Wolin KY, Viswanath K, Askew S, Puleo E, Emmons KM. Television viewing and pedometer-determined physical activity among multiethnic residents of low-income housing. Am J Public Health . 2006;9:1681-1685.
Motivation to Move - Physical activity declines more than two-fold from early adulthood into senior years: Website of the American Heart Association, Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics 2006 update p. 26. http://circ.ahajournals.org/cgi/reprint/113/6/e85 . Accessed August 3, 2006.
Motivation to Move - 33% of young adults do not exercise regularly: The website of the Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/physical/importance/index.htm. Accessed September 11, 2006.
Motivation to Move - Researchers have found that by exercising you reduce your biological age three years from your chronological age: Khaw KT, Jakes R, Bingham S, Welch A, Luben A, Luben R, Day N, Wareham N. Work and leisure time physical activity assessed using a simple, pragmatic, validated questionnaire and incident cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality in men and women : The European Prospective Investigation into Cancer in Norfolk prospective population study. Int J Epidemiol . 2006;35;1034-1043.
Limiting your losses - The current recommendation by the ACSM is to do some sort of muscle strengthening activity at least 2-3 times a week: Pollock ML, Gaesser GA, Butcher JD, Després JP, Dishman RK, Franklin BA. ACSM position stand on the recommended quantity and quality of exercise for developing and maintaining cardiorespiratory and muscular fitness, and flexibility in adults. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1998;30: 975-991.
Limiting your losses - As you age you can experience a 20-40% decrease in muscle mass: The website of the National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Aging
http://nihseniorhealth.gov/exercise/faq/faq4a.html. Accessed September 12, 2006.
Taking time to stretch - Incorporating movements that increase your flexibility can: The website of the Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
www.mayoclinic.com/health/stretching/HQ01447. Accessed September 13, 2006.
How much is enough? - The American College of Sports Medicine recommends activities that promote flexibility 2-3 times a week : Pollack ML, Gaesser AG, et al. ACSM Position Stand on the recommended quantity and quality of exercise for developing and maintaining cardiorespiratory and muscular fitness, and flexibility in adults. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1998;30: 975-991.
Fitness and Your Genes - general reference: Rankinen T , Bray MS , Hagberg JM , Perusse L , Roth SM , Wolfarth B , Bouchard C . The human gene map for performance and health-related fitness phenotypes: The 2005 Update. Med Sci Sports Exerc . 2006; 38:1863-1888 .
Fitness and Your Genes - ...exercise influences the level of expression of genes... Hargreaves M, Cameron-Smith D. Exercise, diet, and skeletal muscle gene expression. Med Sci Sports exerc. 2002;34:1505-1508.
Fitness and Your Genes - The ACE gene has a variant that's associated with our response to activities that require endurance: Heck AL , Barroso CS , Callie ME , Bray MS . Gene-nutrition interaction in human performance and exercise response. INutritionI. 2004;20:598-602.
Fitness and Your Genes - ACE has also been linked to an increased tendency to build muscle mass in response to resistance training: Folland J , Leach B , Little T , Hawker K , Myerson S , Montgomery H , Jones D . Angiotensin-converting enzyme genotype affects the response of human skeletal muscle to functional overload. Exp Physiol . 2000;85:575-579.
Fitness and Your Genes - A variant of the ACTN3 gene is associated with . . . Yang N , MacArthur DG , Gulbin JP , Hahn AG , Beggs AH , Easteal S , North K . ACTN3 genotype Is associated with human elite athletic performance. Am J Hum Genet . 2003;73:627-631.
Fitness and Your Genes - ...researchers have found that just a single exercise session makes a dramatic difference in reducing blood sugar levels. McGee S, Hargreaves M.
Exercise and skeletal muscle glucose transporter 4 expression: molecular mechanisms
Clin Exp Pharmacol Physiol . 2006;33:395-399.
Fitness and Your Genes - ...exercise... factor for increasing HDL-cholesterol. Rice T, Després JP, Perusse L, Hong Y, Province MA, Bergeron J, Gagnon J, Leon AS, Skinner JS, Wilmore JH, Bouchard C, Rao DC. Familial aggregation of blood lipid response to exercise training in the health, risk factors, exercise training, and genetics (HERITAGE) family study. Circulation . 2002;105:1904-1908.
Fitness and Your Genes - A particular variation (-174 G>C) has been found to increase HDL-cholesterol levels. Halverstadt A, Phares DA, Roth S, Ferrell RE, Goldberg AP, Hagberg JM. Interleukin-6 genotype is associated with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol responses to exercise training. Biochim Biophys Acta . 2005;1734:143-151.
Abnormal Cholesterol - just under a million people were reported to have: Website of the American Heart Association, Heart Disease and Stroke 2006 update,
www.americanheart.org/downloadable/heart/1136308648540Statupdate2006.pdf. p. 25. Accessed June 29, 2006.
Abnormal Cholesterol - This section is based on information from the website of the National Institutes of Health, National Cholesterol Education Program third report on the Detection, Evaluation and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults (Adult Treatment Panels III) www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/cholesterol/atp3full.pdf. Accessed August 2, 2006.
Weight Loss - The ACSM recommends about 5 hours a week: Jakicic JM, Clark K, Coleman E, Donnelly JE , Foreyt J , Melanson E , Volek J , Volpe SL ; The American College of Sports Medicine, Position Stand: Appropriate intervention strategies for weight loss and prevention of weight regain for adults. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2001;12:2145-2156.
Weight Loss - Researchers have found that regular pedometer use: Wyatt HR, Peters JC, et al. Using electronic step counters to increase lifestyle physical activity : Colorado on the Move TM . JPAH. 2004;1:181-190 and Wyatt HR , Peters JC , Reed GW , Barry M , Hill JO . A Colorado statewide survey of walking and its relation to excessive weight. Med Sci Sports Exerc . 2005;37:724-730.
Cardiovascular Health: This section was based on information from Thompson PD , Buchner D , Pina IL , Balady GJ , Williams MA , Marcus BH , Berra K , Blair SN , Costa F , Franklin B , Fletcher GF , Gordon NF , Pate RR , Rodriguez BL , Yancey AK , Wenger NK ; American Heart Association Council on Clinical Cardiology Subcommittee on Exercise, Rehabilitation, and Prevention ; American Heart Association Council on Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Metabolism Subcommittee on Physical Activity . Exercise and physical activity in the prevention and treatment of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease: a statement from the Council on Clinical Cardiology (Subcommittee on Exercise, Rehabilitation, and Prevention) and the Council on Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Metabolism (Subcommittee on Physical Activity). Circulation. 2003;107:3109-3116.
Diabetes - The NIH projects 90-95% of these cases: website of the American Heart Association, Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics 2006 update p. 30 http://circ.ahajournals.org/cgi/reprint/113/6/e85.
Diabetes - Researchers found diet and exercise more effective: Knowler WC , Barrett-Connor E, Fowler SE, Hamman RF, Lachin JM, Walker EA, Nathan DM; Diabetes Prevention Program Research Group. The Diabetes Prevention Program Research Group. Reduction in the incidence of type 2 diabetes with lifestyle intervention or metformin. N Engl J Med. 2002;346:393-403.
Managing Blood Pressure: This section was based on information from the website of the National Institutes of Health, National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, Seventh Report of the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation and Treatment of High Blood Pressure www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/hypertension/express.pdf. Accessed August 8, 2006.
Rating Your Level of Exertion: This section was based on information from the website of the Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prev ention www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/physical/measuring/perceived_exertion.htm. Accessed October 3, 2006.
Glossary: Unless otherwise noted, this section was based on information from the website of the US Department of Health and Human Services Centers of Disease Control and Prevention www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/physical/terms/index.htm (accessed September 12, 2006) and the US National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health
www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/mplusdictionary.html (accessed September 25, 2006).
Glossary - Diabetes: American Diabetes Association, Position Statement: Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes. Diabetes Care. 2006;29:S4-S42.
Glossary - Resting heart rate: Andrea L, Dunn BH, Marcus RAC, Jaret P, Blair SN. Active Living Every Day: 20 Weeks to Lifelong Vitality. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics; 2001:48.
Glossary - Sarcopenia: Website of the National Institutes of Health
http://nihseniorhealth.gov/exercise/faq/faq4a.html. Accessed September 25, 2006.