How DNA and Training Impact Athletic Build

Research says between swimming, sprinting and other sports, athletic build can play a large role in an athlete's success.

By Cari Shane
Jul 28, 2022 2:30 PMJul 28, 2022 2:41 PM
Female rower
(Credit: Ivan Smuk/Shutterstock)

Newsletter

Sign up for our email newsletter for the latest science news
 

When the Australian Institute of Sport started the “Talent Search Program,” its mission was to find teenagers who had specific physiques and could be trained as elite athletes in sports that matched their body types. They hand-picked Megan Still at 15 and a decade later, she brought home to Australia a gold medal for rowing at the 1996 Olympic games in Atlanta.

The institute chose Still because she had what they considered the perfect physique for a rower — tall with long limbs and a long torso that allows for a tall sitting height

While not all competitive athletes who find success in a specific sport have the same build, some do. Some world class swimmers are tall with long limbs; some elite weightlifters have shorter arms and legs with thick muscles; some sprinters have slim legs and narrow hips.

0 free articles left
Want More? Get unlimited access for as low as $1.99/month

Already a subscriber?

Register or Log In

0 free articlesSubscribe
Discover Magazine Logo
Want more?

Keep reading for as low as $1.99!

Subscribe

Already a subscriber?

Register or Log In

Stay Curious

Sign up for our weekly newsletter and unlock one more article for free.

 

View our Privacy Policy


Want more?
Keep reading for as low as $1.99!


Log In or Register

Already a subscriber?
Find my Subscription

More From Discover
Recommendations From Our Store
Shop Now
Stay Curious
Join
Our List

Sign up for our weekly science updates.

 
Subscribe
To The Magazine

Save up to 40% off the cover price when you subscribe to Discover magazine.

Copyright © 2024 Kalmbach Media Co.