DNA Fit - DNA Test kit
DNA testing is the latest big thing in sports and fitness.
Its a tool to help you plan your training and diet based on your genetic profile, after all, we are not all the same. We all know someone who is super skinny no mater what they eat, people who can build muscle with ease, people who can go out and run a marathon without breaking a sweat. We are all different and its our genetic differences that contribute to how we perform at different sports and diets.
But that doesn’t mean our genes dictate what we can and can’t do, we are complex beasts and many things interact to determine our athletic ability.
DNA testing is a way to optomise our training and diet based on our genes.
“DNAFit is a UK based company, founded in 2013 by Avrom Lasarow. DNAFit, has now become a recognised global trademark that is associated to the world of genetics and fitness. The company DNAFit Limited since its inception has achieved global media coverage mainly for assisting athletes to tap into their genetic potential and use the power of their genetics to get performance gains naturally.
The company also successfully assisted leading international players prior to the world cup 2015 to include Bryan Ruiz, Glen Johnson and Georgio Karagounis.
DNAFit is also being used in a lottery-funded pilot project in Essex to help obese people lose weight.
A growing business, DNAFit has recently won Market Gravity Innovation Award at 2015 Lloyds UK National Business Awards”
There are a large selection of packages to choose from at various price points. You can choose from a basic diet report, right through to a full diet and fitness report.
The Test Kit
The test kit arrived within a few days and comes in a very snazzy box.
Pull the tab on the right hand side and the “drawer” opens on the left.
This contains the cheek swab, sample tube and a silica capsule which you pop in the sample tube to keep it all dry.
The right hand side has the introductions, bar codes and a free post envelope for sending the sample back to DNAFit.
Taking the sample is really easy. First thing in the morning, before eating or brushing your teeth, you take the swab and rub it around the inside of your cheek for about a minute, then you pop the swab in the collection tube, snap off the end of the swab, pop in the silica capsule, then screw on the cap. The last step is to apply the supplied bar code, put the sample in the pre-paid envelope and drop it in the neared postbox.
Then try to wait patiently for the results.
The Results
After around two weeks, I received the email notification! the results were in!!
The “Fitness and Diet pro” results start with the info-graphic report, this gives a summary of the results with easy to understand descriptions.
Next up is the individual reports for Diet and Fitness. These PDF reports go into more detail, giving your actual gene variations and a more in depth explanation of how these variations effect you.
Excerpt from the Fitness report on Understanding Genetics
The DNAFit Premium report is designed for people of any fitness level. Whether you are an absolute beginner just wanting to train the best way for your body, a personal trainer keen to offer the very best service to your clients, or a professional athlete seeking that extra edge, our report can help you.
WHAT ARE GENES?
A gene is a segment of the DNA (short for deoxyribonucleic acid) molecule that contains the instructions for how, when and where your body makes each of the many thousands of proteins required for life. Each gene is comprised of thousands of combinations of four letters that make up your genetic code: A, T, C, and G. Each gene’s code combines these “letters” in various ways, spelling out the “words” that specify which amino acid is needed at every step in the process of making the proteins required for your body to develop and function. Increasingly, your genes can also tell you whether you are predisposed to specific health risks.
WHAT ARE GENE VARIATIONS?
With the exception of identical twins, all people have small differences in the information that their DNA contains and it’s these differences that make each of us unique. Gene variations are slight changes in the genetic code that are present in at least one percent of the population.
For example - one genetic “letter” (A, T, C, or G) may be replaced by another. These variations can lead to different processes in the body, just as altering one letter in a word can completely change its meaning. When the variation affects only one genetic letter, as in the goat/coat example above, it is called a “single nucleotide polymorphism” (or SNP, pronounced “snip”).
ARE GENE VARIATIONS “BAD”?
For a given population, one genetic code for a gene may be found more frequently than other genetic codes for that same gene. The genetic codes for those genes that appear less frequently are referred to as “variants”. Variations should not be thought of as “good” or “bad,” rather genetic variations are simply the differences in the forms of the genes present in our bodies. The key is to know which form of the gene you carry, so that you can make the right exercise, dietary and lifestyle choices to reduce your health risks.
WHAT IS NUTRIGENETICS?
Nutrigenetics is concerned with the effects of our individual genetic variations in response to our diet, exercise and lifestyle, all of which can cause the genes to be “expressed” in a positive or negative way. Nutrigenetics testing enables us to identify where we are on our journey towards achieving our individual, optimal health potential.
Still want more? Then you head to the DNAFit website and log in.
Here, you can download your PDF reports, but you can also look at the online version of your report.
This goes into even greater detail on your genes, showing the differences between the specific gene variations.
Each page highlights a topic, eg “Aerobic Potential”, “Carbohydrate Sensitivity” and shows all the genes that effect, for example, your Anti-Oxidant Need. On each page is also a forum where you can ask questions on your results.
Once you start digging deeper, prepare yourself to spend going deeper down the rabbit hole, its fascinating!
Online (and if your package includes it) you also have access to the Olympian Benchmark where you can compare your results with a few Olympic Athletes who have also taken the test.
What did I learn?
I’m still digging through the results, I’m studying a different area each week to get a better understanding of how I can apply the results to my training, diet and lifestyle. Some observations I have made so far: -
Diet -
- Low Carb
Increase -
- Folic Acid
- Vit B6 & B12
- Antioxidants
- Calcium
- Omega 3
- (fish, kale, spinach, algae)
- Fibre
- Monounsaturated Fatty Acids = 15% total calories(avocados, olives, almonds, peanuts, macadamia nuts, hazelnuts, pecans, cashews)
- Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids = 12% total calories
Decrease -
- Salt
- Caffeine
- Saturated Fats (coconut, burgers) MAX 8%
- Refined carbs / sugars MAX 6%
- Grilled/smoked meat
Exercise -
- More strength and conditioning
Its really fascinating and in some ways the results have confirmed what I already knew about myself, which is a good feeling. I’ve never been a fan of long endurance races and I always perform better quickly over a short distance, my genes confirmed this. I also know that carbs have a devastating effect on my weight, I can pile on the kilos if I eat lots of carbs.
Still lots to learn :D
