The Sports Gene: Inside the Science of Extraordinary Athletic Performance
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- Create Date：2021-07-16 06:54:58
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：David Epstein
- ISBN：161723012X
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Summary
The New York Times bestseller – with a new afterword about early specialization in youth sports。
The debate is as old as physical competition。 Are stars like Usain Bolt， Michael Phelps， and Serena Williams genetic freaks put on Earth to dominate their respective sports？ Or are they simply normal people who overcame their biological limits through sheer force of will and obsessive training？
In this controversial and engaging exploration of athletic success and the so-called 10，000-hour rule， David Epstein tackles the great nature vs。 nurture debate and traces how far science has come in solving it。 Through on-the-ground reporting from below the equator and above the Arctic Circle， revealing conversations with leading scientists and Olympic champions， and interviews with athletes who have rare genetic mutations or physical traits， Epstein forces us to rethink the very nature of athleticism。
The debate is as old as physical competition。 Are stars like Usain Bolt， Michael Phelps， and Serena Williams genetic freaks put on Earth to dominate their respective sports？ Or are they simply normal people who overcame their biological limits through sheer force of will and obsessive training？
In this controversial and engaging exploration of athletic success and the so-called 10，000-hour rule， David Epstein tackles the great nature vs。 nurture debate and traces how far science has come in solving it。 Through on-the-ground reporting from below the equator and above the Arctic Circle， revealing conversations with leading scientists and Olympic champions， and interviews with athletes who have rare genetic mutations or physical traits， Epstein forces us to rethink the very nature of athleticism。
Reviews
Adam
，
Lots of interesting facts and stories even though the central theme was a bit obvious… nature or nurture， of course it’s both。
Charity Minerva
，
Very interesting book about a topic all athletes have probably been curious about—how much of athletic success is genetic and how much is grit。 My main critique， however， is that his conclusion is entirely based on evolution。
Emily
，
Interesting exploration of how nature and nurture both shape elite athletic performance， translating what was in the early 2010s the most recent science on the role of genetics。 In addition to summarizing some of the leading science， it's well-reported with lots of interviews and athlete stories， as well as the author's personal reflections as a runner。 Interesting exploration of how nature and nurture both shape elite athletic performance， translating what was in the early 2010s the most recent science on the role of genetics。 In addition to summarizing some of the leading science， it's well-reported with lots of interviews and athlete stories， as well as the author's personal reflections as a runner。 。。。more
Porsha
，
A little into The Sports Gene: Inside the Science of Extraordinary Athletic Performance and you'll find that it is impossible to put down！ A little into The Sports Gene: Inside the Science of Extraordinary Athletic Performance and you'll find that it is impossible to put down！ 。。。more
Kaleb Krumtum
，
Wonderfully written book。 It strides the line between scientific and gripping very well， and it explains and sets the foundation for important scientific progression in many different concepts relevant to coaches and self-coaches。 I would consider this a must read for anyone interested in learning about training for sports。
Rheta
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I really did enjoy this book and recommend it for anyone looking for an entertaining， fun-filled read。
John
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Though I'm not an avid sports fan （except Purdue Boilermakers）， I found it interesting that most "star” athletes have prodigious talents for stardom in their genes。 Major league baseball players have 20/12 visual acuity at least， speedrunners have a center mass 3 percent higher （measured at belly button） than normal that translates into a 1。5 percent advantage， weight lifters have myostatin （double muscle） genes， and cricket players; high jumpers and pole vaulters are “natural born。” There are d Though I'm not an avid sports fan （except Purdue Boilermakers）， I found it interesting that most "star” athletes have prodigious talents for stardom in their genes。 Major league baseball players have 20/12 visual acuity at least， speedrunners have a center mass 3 percent higher （measured at belly button） than normal that translates into a 1。5 percent advantage， weight lifters have myostatin （double muscle） genes， and cricket players; high jumpers and pole vaulters are “natural born。” There are deviations from “normal” physiques （shorter torsos， wider arm spans， etc。 Now I know that chess is considered a “sport。” Concluding chapters are a potpourri about Ethiopian and Kenyan runner strides， track runner exhaustion， boxing and football concussions， etc。 Overall， I found reading about the relationship between human physical attributes and sports performance intriguing。 。。。more
Eldora
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I am looking forward to the next book by David Epstein。
Jenny Hogg
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I appreciated that Epstein took a balanced approach and didn't proclaim 100% nature。 A well written book， that became more and more intriguing as the chapters progressed。 I appreciated that Epstein took a balanced approach and didn't proclaim 100% nature。 A well written book， that became more and more intriguing as the chapters progressed。 。。。more
CoachJim
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The introduction to this book states that in 2003 the completion of the Human Genome Project led researchers to look for the roots of human traits。 Sports scientists looked for single genes that might influence athleticism。 It was soon apparent that the effect of single genes was undetectable。 Further studies sought to discern the interplay of “biological endowments and rigorous training。” This is the great nature-versus-nurture debate。David Epstein is a writer for Sports Illustrated。 Here he is The introduction to this book states that in 2003 the completion of the Human Genome Project led researchers to look for the roots of human traits。 Sports scientists looked for single genes that might influence athleticism。 It was soon apparent that the effect of single genes was undetectable。 Further studies sought to discern the interplay of “biological endowments and rigorous training。” This is the great nature-versus-nurture debate。David Epstein is a writer for Sports Illustrated。 Here he is trying to unravel the many factors that determine success in athletics。 He opens by reviewing some famous athletic families where success in sports has followed a previous generation。 This leads to his examination of a genetic link to athletic success。 He follows the genetic research being done to determine the role genes play and how the interplay of innate ability and practice affects athleticism。 Scientists have failed to detect genes that might predict athleticism。 When the sequencing of the human genome was announced it was supposed to usher in an age of “personalized medicine”。 However， scientists were unable to even find a single gene responsible for the height in humans。 It was obvious that human traits were much more complex。The author reports that there is a stigma associated with genetic research。 There are social implications that genes strictly determine certain human traits， which might lead to discrimination。 There are also privacy issues regarding health and other conditions。The “practice only” narrative to explain success， although appealing to our sense that anything is possible with hard work， ignores the contribution of innate talent。 But he explains: “Tests of innate physical ‘hardware’ — qualities that an athlete is apparently born with， like simple reaction time — had done astonishingly little to help explain expert performance in sports。”（Page 6） This brings in the discussion of Malcolm Gladwell’s “10，000 hour” theory that dedicated practice determines success in sports。 This leads to the question that if only accumulated hours of practice matter， then why are sports separated for men and women。 The answer to that lies in the presence of the Y chromosome。The book does deal with quite a bit of science， and although the author does a good job explaining this in layman’s terms， there are sections that dive deep into genetics。 For instance， consider the following: This particular gene tells the body how to build the EPO receptor， a molecule that sits atop bone marrow cells awaiting the EPO hormone。 If the EPO receptor is a keyhole， it is one made specifically to accept only the key that is the EPO hormone。 Once the key is in the lock， the production of red blood cells proceeds。 The receptor signals a bone marrow cell to start the process of creating a red blood cell that contains hemoglobin。（Page 276-277） This paragraph is part of a long section。The author is a runner so many of his examples involve running or endurance sports。 As such he describes the different muscle fiber types: slow-twitch and fast-twitch。 Fast-twitch fibers contract at least twice as fast as slow-twitch fibers， and are characterized as explosive movement。 For athletics this translate into the fact that sprinters have more fast-twitch muscle fibers and long distance runners have more slow-twitch muscles fibers。This is interesting when he reports that internationally sprint events have been dominated by Jamaicans in recent years。 He links this to their heritage as coming from East Africa where malaria is common。 That led to specific genetic and metabolic alterations of genes that protect against it。 One effect was an increase to more fast-twitch muscle fibers， which are less dependent aerobic energy — a benefit in resisting malaria。One of the last stories that Epstein relates is about Eero Mantyranta。 A genetic mutation left him， and other family members， with unusually elevated hemoglobin levels。 This trait is very beneficial to endurance athletes in that it delivers more oxygen to the muscles。 Mantyranta lived in the far north of Finland。 As a young child he had to ski many miles to school each day。 As he grew older he realized he could be successful as a Cross-Country skier and embarked on a rigorous training program。 （He won seven Olympic medals， thee of them gold。） This story is used to illustrate that genes， environment and training are equally important to athletic success。 Mintyranta’s life and success are both 100% nature and 100% nurture。The last chapter of this book is a wonderful essay on the nuances of “The Sports Gene。” What is the purpose of finding the genetic components of a perfect athlete？ Unless we start breeding humans similar to Thoroughbred horses we should embrace and enjoy the “fantastic menagerie that is human biological diversity。” Amid the pageantry of the Opening Ceremony at the [next Olympics]， make sure to look for the extremes of human physique。 The 4’9” gymnast beside the 310-pound shot putter who is looking up at the 6’10" basketball player whose arms are seven and a half feet from fingertip to fingertip。 Or the 6’4” swimmer who strides into the Olympic stadium beside his countryman， the 5’9” miler， both men wearing the same length pants。t（Page 289） The author uses the example of Michael Jordan。 He was certainly blessed with genes that made him tall enough to play basketball， but it was his hard work that perfected his basketball skills。 “Discovering genes that influence athletic performance will detract from the hard work undertaken by athletes。” To pursue athletic improvement is to embark on a quest in search of the practice plan that suits your inimitable biology。 … [A] single exercise program will produce a vast and individualized range of improvement for any particular trait。 … Sure， there were subjects who saw no improvement in aerobic fitness， but perhaps their blood pressure dropped， or their cholesterol levels improved。 Everyone benefits from exercise or sports practice in some unique way。 To take part is a journey of self-discovery that， largely， is beyond even the illuminating reach of cutting science。 。。。more
Jackie
，
This was super interesting and I loved learning all the little tidbits about different genetic options and how they translate into athletic prowess or not。 I guess the only negative thing is that it jumps around a lot （and sometimes circles back）， so I'm not sure I retained nearly as much as I should have。 Also， the book draws no conclusions， not that I expected it would。 If you are interested in genetics in the abstract， this was great， if you are looking for any answers regarding how to become This was super interesting and I loved learning all the little tidbits about different genetic options and how they translate into athletic prowess or not。 I guess the only negative thing is that it jumps around a lot （and sometimes circles back）， so I'm not sure I retained nearly as much as I should have。 Also， the book draws no conclusions， not that I expected it would。 If you are interested in genetics in the abstract， this was great， if you are looking for any answers regarding how to become a top tier athlete， keep looking。What was especially interesting to me were the social conversations about genes and how they are legally treated。 Can you require genetic testing of professional athletes to determine if they are going to drop dead on the playing field？ What about using genes to determine if players are eligible to compete in certain areas （Are they doping or naturally a bit outside the norm？ Should they compete against men or women？） 。。。more
Katie
，
The book for you if you've ever watched an incredible athlete and wondered "how did they do that？" This book is related to Gladwell's Outliers， but is packed with much more research and different sport examples。 Is it nature or is it nurture？ I love love love learning about different body types and the progression of athletic performance over the years。 But I wish he'd included ultramarathon racers - the one sport where women have closed the performance gap with men！ BRB， want to get my DNA sequ The book for you if you've ever watched an incredible athlete and wondered "how did they do that？" This book is related to Gladwell's Outliers， but is packed with much more research and different sport examples。 Is it nature or is it nurture？ I love love love learning about different body types and the progression of athletic performance over the years。 But I wish he'd included ultramarathon racers - the one sport where women have closed the performance gap with men！ BRB， want to get my DNA sequenced。 。。。more
Andreea Carp
，
A collection of sport related studies that proves that genetic determination plays a very important role in marking the sport hall of fame。
Juande Perez Garcia
，
Un viaje muy entretenido analizando la complejidad del deporte en el que se analiza el por qué de los velocistas jamaicanos o los atletas keniatas entre otros， echando por tierra la teoría de las 10。000h de práctica deportiva para llegar al alto rendimiento。 Una oportunidad de conocer en qué se centra la investigación y hacia donde se dirige， con hallazgos muy interesantes。
Jay Waghray
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No relation to Jeffery Epstein？
Pipkin ratings
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Fine book and has brought me many hours of enjoyment。
Connor
，
Continuing the trend of sport related reading， The Sports Gene is chock-full of interesting threads of information。 The hyperspecialization we see in today's athletes reveals the breadth of genetic possibility contained within our DNA。 While good genetics are a necessary condition for performance， they are not a sufficient one。 The old adage that 'hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard' remains true。 Standout chapters include the ones comparing Jamaican sprinters with Kalenjin mara Continuing the trend of sport related reading， The Sports Gene is chock-full of interesting threads of information。 The hyperspecialization we see in today's athletes reveals the breadth of genetic possibility contained within our DNA。 While good genetics are a necessary condition for performance， they are not a sufficient one。 The old adage that 'hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard' remains true。 Standout chapters include the ones comparing Jamaican sprinters with Kalenjin marathoners， and one discussing baseball hitters and how they're able to strike a ball moving at over 150 kph。 。。。more
Ian Doyle
，
IMHO one of the best science reads， sports reads， and non-fiction reads out there。 Truly 5 stars。
Erik Wallin
，
Intressant， tar med mig att Afrika har en större genetisk mångfald， och alltså därför har både bättre och sämre atleter， eftersom att människan först kom därifrån och alla andra grupper som inte lever där nu är subgrupper som har mindre genetisk mångfald —> sämre toppatleter。 Dessutom finns det en så stor biologisk mångfald i Afrika att små små subgrupper har större genetiska skillnader än resten av världen tillsammans。 Därför är det orimligt att säga att Afrika är så bra på atletiska sporter。 M Intressant， tar med mig att Afrika har en större genetisk mångfald， och alltså därför har både bättre och sämre atleter， eftersom att människan först kom därifrån och alla andra grupper som inte lever där nu är subgrupper som har mindre genetisk mångfald —> sämre toppatleter。 Dessutom finns det en så stor biologisk mångfald i Afrika att små små subgrupper har större genetiska skillnader än resten av världen tillsammans。 Därför är det orimligt att säga att Afrika är så bra på atletiska sporter。 Man måste kolla på mindre delar， tex fråga varför Jamaicanska sprinters är så snabba。Att Jamaica är bra på att springa handlar en del om slavarbetarna tråkigt nog， men även att deras kultur är löpning。 De bästa atleterna löper och sticker inte till andra sporter som i andra länder。 Samt även såklart den genetiska mångfaldenTesta olika sporter och se vilken sport som passar ens gener bäst: olika sporter har olika ideala kroppar。 För att bli riktigt bra på något måste man ha （eller jobba ännu hårdare） speciella gener anpassade för sporten。 Annorlunda för sporter som tex fotboll där gener inte spelar lika stor rollHandlar om både nurture och nature; kombinationen är det viktiga， och man kan komma dit på olika sätt （Stefan Holm vs Donald Thomas）。 。。。more
Victor
，
Levei anos para ler。 Isso é possível porque cada capítulo se refere a uma parte específica da pesquisa e histórias que ilustram as informações coletadas e estudadas。Fica um pouco repetitivo depois de um tempo， mesmo que os aspectos abordados sejam diferentes e se complementem。Para quem gosta de esportes e consume uma grande variedade， acredito que a leitura seja mais fluída。
Curtis
，
I first heard David Epstein on the Rich Roll podcast。 The conversation intrigued me。 I picked up this book， his first， because the subject matter intrigued me。 Epstein does a good job of taking complex science and making it understandable。 The science of genetics is terribly complicated。 His acknowledgement that there is still much to learn is spot on。The stories included that help illustrate the points he’s making are relevant and interesting。 I think anyone interested in the nature vs nurture I first heard David Epstein on the Rich Roll podcast。 The conversation intrigued me。 I picked up this book， his first， because the subject matter intrigued me。 Epstein does a good job of taking complex science and making it understandable。 The science of genetics is terribly complicated。 His acknowledgement that there is still much to learn is spot on。The stories included that help illustrate the points he’s making are relevant and interesting。 I think anyone interested in the nature vs nurture debate and the “10，000 hour rule” would benefit from this book。 。。。more
Philippe Godin
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I would give 4。5 if possible
R J M
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I enjoyed this book。Any recommendations on comparable books about identifying and nurturing various aspects of "intelligence？" Where's the comparable section to the sports page in newspaper？I love sports。 Most everyone would benefit by PARTICIPATING in athletic activities。 But they're overemphasized as a spectator activity。We need comparable efforts to promote and celebrate the things that actually advance the future of humankind。 I enjoyed this book。Any recommendations on comparable books about identifying and nurturing various aspects of "intelligence？" Where's the comparable section to the sports page in newspaper？I love sports。 Most everyone would benefit by PARTICIPATING in athletic activities。 But they're overemphasized as a spectator activity。We need comparable efforts to promote and celebrate the things that actually advance the future of humankind。 。。。more
Gwendolyn Moncrieff-Gould
，
Quit reading it when the author compared women athletes to men having nipples， and the threw in some light phrenology for good measure。
Emma Bussolotta
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The final answer to the question "Is there a sport's gene？": sort of， but not really， but kind of。 Maybe。 The final answer to the question "Is there a sport's gene？": sort of， but not really， but kind of。 Maybe。 。。。more
Sam
，
HmmmOk but a little repetitive in argument structure and set up - was expecting the com rots to taken further than they were
Xin Gao
，
I liked how he explored different aspects of sports -- not only physical talents but also willingness to train。 There's a lot of solid science and personal experience in this book， which is a nice balance。 Some parts of the book felt redundant， especially after reading Range （too many recycled materials。。。） I liked how he explored different aspects of sports -- not only physical talents but also willingness to train。 There's a lot of solid science and personal experience in this book， which is a nice balance。 Some parts of the book felt redundant， especially after reading Range （too many recycled materials。。。） 。。。more
Taylor Gregory
，
I think this may be my favorite book that I have read。 A masterful blend of stories of ascents to athletic prominence and deep dives into the factors that contributed to these individuals’ unmatched capabilities。
Owen
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One remarkable story and insight after another。 Highlights a lot of what is happening just under the surface of Olympic-level sports achievement， which is remarkably under-discussed in broadcasts。 Already started sharing interesting tidbits in one of my classes。
Cal Chin
，