The World's Best Book Summaries
Why are sports divided by gender? How is sex defined in sports? Sports divide men’s and women’s events into two distinct categories for good reason, yet on the level of the individual athlete, the distinction between the sexes is not so easy to define. In sports, the biological distinction between male and female is not black and white. Let’s explore the issue of gender in sports to help shed light on the matter.
What’s the best body type for swimming? Why do elite swimmers tend to have the same physical characteristics? Although swimmers with varying body types have found success in the sport, most swimmers who compete at the international level have the same body type. They tend to be tall, have long torsos, and have rather short legs. Keep reading to learn about the science behind the swimming body type.
Has the human species evolved independently around the world? Or is there a common human ancestor? Until around the 1970s, many anthropologists believed that modern man had evolved independently in different populations around the world. However, the sheer genetic diversity of African populations (compared to the rest of the world) suggests that humans originated in sub-Saharan East Africa and migrated around the world from there. Keep reading to learn about the evidence of early human migration and how it changed our understanding of human evolution.
What body type is the best suited for running? Does body type have a significant effect on running ability? There’s no single runner body type. Different leg lengths, leg proportions, and height have such an impact on performance that runners’ measurements often differ by event. Let’s look at a few examples.
What’s the average height of a basketball player? Apart from height, what are the other key characteristics of a professional basketball player’s body type? Basketball players in the NBA are generally much taller than the average man. Only 5% of men in the US are taller than 6 feet 3 inches. The average height of an NBA player is 6 feet 7 inches. In addition to height, basketball players tend to have longer arms, far outside the norm for the general population. Let’s take a look at the key characteristics of a professional basketball player’s body type.
What exactly are emotions? How can understanding emotions—how they arise and unfold—help you regulate your mood and psychological states? There is no scientific consensus about what emotions are. However, experts generally agree on three things: 1) emotions originate in the “midbrain,” 2) emotions are accompanied by physical changes, and 3) physical changes in the body prompt urges to act on the emotion. Keep reading to learn about the psychology of emotions, where they originate, and how they unfold.
Why are athletes less sensitive to pain? Does playing sports decrease pain sensitivity? Or is it a matter of genetics? Pain is inevitable in most sports, and managing pain is an important part of being an elite athlete. While some athletes may have a genetic advantage when processing pain, intense athletic competition can make anyone less sensitive to pain. Keep reading to learn about the genetics of pain and why athletes tend to be tougher than an average person when it comes to handling pain.
What is the function of the ACTN3 gene? Is it true that your ACTN3 genotype determines your running ability? ACTN3 hosts the code for making the protein called Alpha-actinin-3. The “R variant” of the gene results in normal production of the protein, but the “X” variant prevents the protein from being synthesized. While scientists do not know how this happens, there’s a strong correlation between the R genotype and sprinting speed. Tests on athletes from around the world have revealed that the XX genotype is almost nowhere to be found in elite sprinters. Keep reading to learn why the ACTN3
What is the function of the gene Apolipoprotein E (APOE)? How many APOE variants are there? The Apolipoprotein E gene influences inflammation in the brain following head trauma. The Apolipoprotein E gene has three variants: APOE 2, APOE 3, and APOE 4. A person’s variant of the gene can influence how they recover from a brain injury. Keep reading to learn about the function of Apolipoprotein E and how it relates to sports.
What is the difference between fast-twitch and slow-twitch muscle fibers? Is it possible to change your ratio of fast-twitch to slow-twitch muscle fibers through training? Fast-twitch muscle fibers support explosive muscle activity (e.g., lifting heavy objects or sprinting short distances), while slow-twitch muscle fibers support activities requiring endurance (e.g., long-distance running). To some degree, we can train our fast-twitch muscles to have more endurance and our slow-twitch muscles to become stronger, but we cannot actually change the ratio of slow-twitch to fast-twitch fibers that we are born with. Here’s how fast-twitch and slow-twitch muscle fibers impact sports.