Les Jeux olympiques d’hiver : performance, précision… et génétique

As the Winter Olympics come to a close this weekend, the world has watched breathtaking downhill runs, millisecond sprints, and extraordinary displays of endurance.

Behind every medal lies years of training, relentless discipline… and an increasingly relevant question:
How much of athletic performance comes from training — and how much from genetics?

At Adnà, we believe that understanding your DNA can offer meaningful insight into your natural tendencies — including in the context of sport and performance.

Does Genetics Really Influence Athletic Performance?

The short answer: yes — but only in part.

Athletic performance is multifactorial. It depends on:

• Training
• Nutrition
• Sleep and recovery
• Mental preparation
• Environment
• And certain genetic predispositions

Thousands of genetic variations (SNPs) may influence:

• The proportion of fast- or slow-twitch muscle fibers
• Cardiovascular capacity
• Inflammatory response
• Muscle recovery
• Injury susceptibility

For example, certain variants of the ACTN3 gene are associated with explosive power, while other genetic profiles are linked to endurance capacity. That said, no single gene determines an athlete’s destiny. Genetics may influence strengths — but it does not guarantee outcomes.

Endurance vs. Power: Different Profiles on the Ice and Snow

The Winter Olympics perfectly illustrate biological diversity in performance.

A cross-country skier relies heavily on exceptional aerobic capacity and sustained muscular endurance. In contrast, a short-track speed skater or bobsled athlete depends on explosive power generated in just a few seconds.

Genetics can influence:

• The ability to generate force rapidly
• Energy metabolism efficiency
• Post-exercise inflammatory response
• Physiological stress adaptation

But champions are never built on genetics alone. Performance emerges from the interaction between biology, structured training, mindset, and opportunity.

Recovery: The Hidden Competitive Edge

We often celebrate speed and strength. Less visible — but equally critical — is recovery.

At elite levels, the ability to recover quickly between events can make a decisive difference.

Certain genetic variations may influence:

• Oxidative stress management
• Collagen production (impacting tendon and ligament health)
• Inflammatory response
• Nutrient metabolism

Understanding these tendencies can help tailor training loads, nutrition strategies, and recovery protocols — always in collaboration with qualified professionals.

Genetics: Potential, Not Prediction

An essential point:
DNA does not predict an Olympic medal.

It reveals tendencies, sensitivities, and biological patterns. Environment, motivation, access to resources, and coaching play enormous roles.

Research suggests that the heritability of certain performance-related traits can range between 30% and 80%, depending on the parameter studied (such as VO₂ max or muscle strength). Genetics matters — but it never tells the whole story.

Sport and the Rise of Personalized Health

The Winter Olympics also reflect a broader shift toward personalization in health and performance.

Elite sport increasingly integrates:

• Personalized nutrition
• Data-driven training programs
• Blood biomarker monitoring
• Heart rate variability tracking
• Genetic insights

This holistic approach aims to understand the athlete as an individual — not just a performer.

The Adnà Perspective

At Adnà, we are not a medical institution and we do not provide clinical diagnoses.

Our role is complementary.

We offer an informative, accessible, and human-centered approach to understanding genetic tendencies. In the context of sport and wellness, a genetic test can serve as an exploratory first step — opening the door to more informed discussions with coaches, nutritionists, or healthcare professionals.

Because whether performance is Olympic-level or personal, it often begins with self-knowledge.

Beyond the Medals

The Winter Olympics remind us of something fundamental:

Performance is not only about talent.
It is the meeting point of biological potential, discipline, environment, and resilience.

And perhaps the greatest victory is not the medal itself —
but understanding what makes each of us unique.

Your DNA holds answers.
How you use them is up to you.