CrossFit Snohomish Blog

Genotype and Phenotype

Yesterday Coach Glassman brought up the concept of genotype vs. phenotype. This is a complex issue, but one worth exploring at the layman’s level. I don’t know much about it, but I will share a bit. Genotype is your genetic make up. Essentially it is the maximum potential you have, good or bad. Phenotype is who you end up being. Or, stated differently, how much of that maximum potential you become. Some parts of your genotype are affected more dramatically than others by things you are exposed to. For instance height is only affected slightly by environmental factors such as nutrition. In other words, if both of your parents are 4’9″ then you will not be 6’2″ no matter how much raw milk and cod liver oil you consume. Other aspects of your genotype can be affected much more drastically by  external factors.  Your weight is a good example of this. If both of your parents weighed 472 pounds and had the metabolism of a snail you are not necessarily destined to the same fate. You may have a bit more of an uphill battle than some, but through repeated exposure to positive nutritional intake and regular exercise you will express more “good” genes and less “bad” genes than your parents did and you will be a significantly more fit and healthier person.

Enough science. So what is the take home message here? Well, there are a few. First, regularly “enjoy” CrossFit and eat a real food diet for the rest of your life and you will be expressing  many positive genes and minimizing the number of negative genes that get expressed in your phenotype. Robb Wolf (CF nutritional guru and really smart guy) said it best-if you are not exposing yourself to high intensity exercise you are genetically broken. The same is true of healthy food. Second, comparing yourself to someone else is ridiculous. You are genetically encoded to be something. Again, do CrossFit and eat right and you will be the best you you can be and that you will be different than someone else’s you. Did I say that right? You get the point. No matter how much basketball I play I will never be Michael Jordan, but you know what? I can get a lot better than I am now. Finally, one cool point of all this is that you don’t know how amazing your genotype might be until you have exposed it to the positive environmental factors of exercise and healthy food regularly for an extended period of time and it is expressed in your phenotype. It is kind of like you are digging up a hidden treasure and you never know what you will find.

So lets all strive to be phenotypically stellar people, right?

AM Class

Back Squat 5-5-5-5-5 reps

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PM Classes

Four rounds, each for time of:
800 meter run

Rest as needed between efforts.

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Compare to here.