Genetic research provides answer to Jamaicans' speed
ANDREDESIGNZ said
07:27 07/08 2008
Genetic research provides answer to Jamaicans' speed published: Tuesday | July 8, 2008
Leighton Levy, Freelance Reporter
Professor Errol Morrison, president of the University of Technology (UTech), shares a joke with Olympic sprint relay gold medallist, Sherone Simpson, after athletes from the MVP Track Club met with Gleaner sports editors at the university's Technology Innovation Centre in Papine, St Andrew, last week. - Rudolph Brown/Chief Photographer
Jamaicans are born to run fast. It's in our *lo**.
At least, so say preliminary findings of research being conducted by the University of Glasgow and the University of the West Indies (UWI) that has been going on for more than two years now.
Over that time, more than 200 Jamaican athletes were tested and found to possess the Actinen component in their fast-twitch muscle fibres - the rapidly contracting muscle fibres that enable sprinters to run really fast.
Early data
"Jamaica (and) Scotland, through the University of Glasgow, have been studying athletes from around the world, those of West African origin, east Africa and elsewhere. The early data is that for the fast-twitch fibres in the muscles, there is a special component called the Actinen A, of which the gene was identified in the fast-twitch fibres has been found in 70 per cent of the athletes from Jamaica," reveals an excited Professor Errol Morrison, president of the University of Technology (UTech).
More to come
"This compared to only 30 per cent in an Australian group that is being tested. What it says to us is what is happening is not a flash in the pan, but there will be many potential Asafa Powells, Sherone Simpsons and Sherikas (Williams), because the genetic predisposition is there."
Professor Morrison was understandably excited when he released the information to The Gleaner recently, because he was partially responsible for initiating the research that unearthed these findings.
He explained that the Univer-sity of Glasgow and a few Japanese universities had for some time been conducting research on athletes in Kenya, apparently trying to unlock the secrets to their prowess at long-distance running. Then, just over two years ago, while he wasemployed by the Department of Biochemistry at the University of the West Indies (UWI), Professor Morrison wrote an article that caught the researchers' eyes.
"I had published an article about what seemed to be the underlying principles behind the high performance in sprint among Jamaican athletes," he said. "And when they saw that article, they contacted me and said they would like to set up a link to look at athletes of a West African origin because that is where Caribbean athletes come from."
The University of Technology became involved when Professor Morrison assumed duties as president and eventually tests were conducted on the athletes there, including those from the MVP track club that has as its members some of the world's best sprinters.
Tests were not only conducted on UTech and MVP athletes, but on some of Jamaica's greats like the late Herb McKenley and Olympic 200 metre silver medallist Grace Jackson, who now runs the sports programme at the UWI, Mona Campus.
Blessed sprinters
The early results, according to Professor Morrison, are not only exciting, but it gives cause to create the environment to nurture this genetic predisposition with which Jamaica's sprinters have been blessed.
"It is quite clear that there are a lot of people with this potential to be good performers who, by nurturing the environment for them, the nutrition, training, focusing the whole psychological competitiveness, we can remain at the forefront for many years to come," Professor Morrison said.
Definitive answer
The results could go a long way in providing a definitive answer as to why Jamaicans continue to compete with the best sprinters in the world and in recent times, take the lead.
"The question is always there. What is it, nature or nurture that makes us so good?" Professor Morrison said in concluding. "The answer seems to be coming that there seems to be a strong underlying genetic or nature predisposition as to why we are able to perform like this."
YUNG_BERRY said
18:16 07/08 2008
ok
Buddah said
18:20 07/08 2008
kool...so wha gene mek big selecta BIG selecta??...lol
goke313 said
18:40 07/08 2008
garbage research...it has very little to deal with genetics
Track is by far the most popular sport in Jamaica.....Jamaica's best athletes are more likely to choose track. Ex.America's best athletes would rather play football,basketball or baseball......Nigeria's/Spain's/England's best athletes would choose soccer.
http://www.islandmix.com/backchat/f25/why-jamaicans-better-sprinters-177068/
***DK*** said
10:36 07/14 2008
silly research
kurt said
10:37 07/14 2008
wat if this is true ?
AJ said
14:22 07/14 2008
nexx said
13:03 07/23 2008
betta yo shut the f**k up. majority of the athletes in a country choosing a specific sport has nothing to do with them performing betta than other countries ( who tek sports more serious an invest in it more). an yo f**king ediat football is the most popular sport in JA. how much time u eva si pple a do tracks when dem no dey a skool or some track training at a designated area.
Dj Con said
07:56 07/24 2008
a joke ting... later u hear sey a drugs from wi four parents cause it !!!!!!!!! what a *lo** Bath..... tel dem fi MOVE dem a P*$$y
Genetic research provides answer to Jamaicans' speed
published: Tuesday | July 8, 2008
Leighton Levy, Freelance Reporter
Professor Errol Morrison, president of the University of Technology (UTech), shares a joke with Olympic sprint relay gold medallist, Sherone Simpson, after athletes from the MVP Track Club met with Gleaner sports editors at the university's Technology Innovation Centre in Papine, St Andrew, last week. - Rudolph Brown/Chief Photographer
Jamaicans are born to run fast. It's in our *lo**.
At least, so say preliminary findings of research being conducted by the University of Glasgow and the University of the West Indies (UWI) that has been going on for more than two years now.
Over that time, more than 200 Jamaican athletes were tested and found to possess the Actinen component in their fast-twitch muscle fibres - the rapidly contracting muscle fibres that enable sprinters to run really fast.
Early data
"Jamaica (and) Scotland, through the University of Glasgow, have been studying athletes from around the world, those of West African origin, east Africa and elsewhere. The early data is that for the fast-twitch fibres in the muscles, there is a special component called the Actinen A, of which the gene was identified in the fast-twitch fibres has been found in 70 per cent of the athletes from Jamaica," reveals an excited Professor Errol Morrison, president of the University of Technology (UTech).
More to come
"This compared to only 30 per cent in an Australian group that is being tested. What it says to us is what is happening is not a flash in the pan, but there will be many potential Asafa Powells, Sherone Simpsons and Sherikas (Williams), because the genetic predisposition is there."
Professor Morrison was understandably excited when he released the information to The Gleaner recently, because he was partially responsible for initiating the research that unearthed these findings.
He explained that the Univer-sity of Glasgow and a few Japanese universities had for some time been conducting research on athletes in Kenya, apparently trying to unlock the secrets to their prowess at long-distance running. Then, just over two years ago, while he wasemployed by the Department of Biochemistry at the University of the West Indies (UWI), Professor Morrison wrote an article that caught the researchers' eyes.
"I had published an article about what seemed to be the underlying principles behind the high performance in sprint among Jamaican athletes," he said. "And when they saw that article, they contacted me and said they would like to set up a link to look at athletes of a West African origin because that is where Caribbean athletes come from."
The University of Technology became involved when Professor Morrison assumed duties as president and eventually tests were conducted on the athletes there, including those from the MVP track club that has as its members some of the world's best sprinters.
Tests were not only conducted on UTech and MVP athletes, but on some of Jamaica's greats like the late Herb McKenley and Olympic 200 metre silver medallist Grace Jackson, who now runs the sports programme at the UWI, Mona Campus.
Blessed sprinters
The early results, according to Professor Morrison, are not only exciting, but it gives cause to create the environment to nurture this genetic predisposition with which Jamaica's sprinters have been blessed.
"It is quite clear that there are a lot of people with this potential to be good performers who, by nurturing the environment for them, the nutrition, training, focusing the whole psychological competitiveness, we can remain at the forefront for many years to come," Professor Morrison said.
Definitive answer
The results could go a long way in providing a definitive answer as to why Jamaicans continue to compete with the best sprinters in the world and in recent times, take the lead.
"The question is always there. What is it, nature or nurture that makes us so good?" Professor Morrison said in concluding. "The answer seems to be coming that there seems to be a strong underlying genetic or nature predisposition as to why we are able to perform like this."