Re: t-and-f: Re: t-and-f-digest V1 #3543
Testing at birth wouldn't tell you much since your growth is to a large degree genetically programmed. It would have to be after the last growth spurt. Well, then there would be no good way to test for genetic lung capacity because after birth you will improve your lung capacity by your activity (running to and from school, tending to the flock). It could be that a certain group of people turn out to be great runners because the walk and run a lot as children. Take a look at US history over the past 50 years. We have turned more and more away from our rural roots. Our children sit around, watch TV and get fat. That is why we have the highest child obesity rate in the worldwe are lazy as a whole. That was not true 50 years ago. Alan _ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com
t-and-f: Re: t-and-f-digest V1 #3543
Tests on sedentary adult males comparing different populations. Testing at birth wouldn't tell you much since your growth is to a large degree genetically programmed. It would have to be after the last growth spurt. Scientists testing muscular fiber type, such as Claude Bouchard whose work is renowned in this area, focus on such a late teenage or early twenties groups. On 4/12/01 7:23 PM, "t-and-f-digest" [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Date: Thu, 12 Apr 2001 17:19:24 -0700 From: Ed Dana Parrot [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: t-and-f: lung capacity Jon Entine wrote: East Africans also have huge natural lung capacity Do you mean untrained lung capacity? The only way I can imagine you could test for "natural" lung capacity would be at birth. - - Ed Parrot -- Jon Entine RuffRun 6178 Grey Rock Rd. Agoura Hills, CA 91301 (818) 991-9803 [FAX] 991-9804 http://www.jonentine.com
Re: t-and-f: Re: t-and-f-digest V1 #3543
Tests on sedentary adult males comparing different populations. Testing at birth wouldn't tell you much since your growth is to a large degree genetically programmed. It would have to be after the last growth spurt. Scientists testing muscular fiber type, such as Claude Bouchard whose work is renowned in this area, focus on such a late teenage or early twenties groups. Testing after the last growth spurt won't allow you to conclude much about genetics. By then, environmental and social factors could be the reason as opposed to "natural" talent. Now, if you took a decent sample size (in the hundreds at least) of Kenyan babies and had them raised in the U.S. by American families at sea level, you might be a lot closer to getting a comparison. Although really, you should do the same thing with a group of americans of European descent and raise them in Kenya as well. I doubt either of these ideas is particularly practical. Personally, I believe that genetics, environment AND social factors all play a role, but I have no proof of that. I suspect it would be very difficult to design a study that would conclusively link genetics to adult lung capacity, even if genetics are indeed the main reason for the Kenyan lung capacity. I suppose you could identify the individual genes that are believed to be causing this, and compare these genes in Kenyans vs. westerners, but even genes often have environmental triggers. I am constantly amazed at how often conclusions are made based on samples that could not support the conclusions regardless of the actual finding - ed parrot
