Gene Elite results

A few months I posted about how I have started offering Genetic Profiling for clients and I recently decided to take up the genetic challenge and find out more about my gene pool - the good and the bad.

The GeneElite test looks at 16 different genes and their positive or negative variations. For athletic and fitness purposes they are divided into four groups - Bodyfat metabolism, Lean Body Mass Development, Recovery and Nutrition (how well your liver processes and removes toxic elements).

I scored poorly for Bodyfat Metabolism and "average" for Lean Body Mass Development - specifically my negative variation have to do with cardiovascular risk rather than muscle development. My recovery is good and my liver works better than most ("excellent" for toxin removal).

The downside of being me - without attention to proper nutrition and training, I am a "heart attack waiting to happen". Coupled with my poor body fat metabolism I have a very high potential to develop Type 2 diabetes if I am not careful. I have to be more careful with keeping my weight down than most of the population. Whilst I felt disappointed in such results, I'm not surprised - I have PCOS, everyone who has passed away in my family has had cardiovascular issues. I need to maintain my cardiovascular fitness to help my heart health, I need to be particular with my nutrition. However, cardio as a tool for fat loss is not effective for me. Greatest fat loss for me comes from heavy lifting, according to my profile.

On the positive side - I recover particularly well from training, which means I can tolerate high exercise load without too much trouble. I also have an excellent liver which removes all sorts of junk. In my own experience I know I respond to good nutrition and healthy eating.

To sum up, I'm going to look into having some bloodwork done and check out what's going on with my heart health. I will supplement with folate and B Vitamins (this is specific to my gene variation). I will continue to maintain a healthy lifestyle - for example - whilst eating food with trans fats is not recommended, in my case eating food high in trans fats eg Nutella, is akin to poisoning myself ) and I will continue to keep working at keeping my weight stable.

This post isn't really intended to sell this product, rather share my experience of how I feel about finding out about my genetic makeup but if anyone wants to know more, they can contact me through my site.

I must say that given my poor fat metabolism, I've done a pretty good job of prepping for competition ;)

Exciting Developments

I have decided to add a few more DVDs to the store, namely the Spinervals series. I have had great results with these DVDs - not only have I improved my cycling technique whilst I was in Woop Woop, they also helped me to stay fit and lean.

The DVD above is a fantastic "Virtual Reality" ride through the state of Maryland in the United States and certainly puts back the fun into using a stationary bike. I haven't done this one yet, but cannot wait. It's bringing the holiday home!

What else? I am also stocking Ladybird supplements - so if you are in the market for supplements, please give me a shout. As you all know, I love Women's Whey and it comes in some fantastic flavours - Chocolate, Cookies and Cream, Vanilla Icecream and the like.

However the biggest news is that I am offering some cutting edge technology - genetic testing for athletes and fitness enthusiasts alike. "Gene Elite" from Excelgene is a cutting edge genetic test that profiles fifteen genes directly associated with fitness, health and nutrition - unlocking your body's metabolic and anabolic characteristics. Because your genetic profile does not change, GeneElite is a once in a lifetime investment that will have lifelong relevancy.

Each gene analysed has several variations(called alleles) and it's the combination of these different allelic variations that define your physiology. You can gain insight into a) Bodyfat metabolism - lipid metabolism/insulin sensitivity; b) Lean Body Mass Development - cardiovascular fitness, muscular health and bone density c) Recovery (antioxidation and inflammation) and d) Nutrition - liver health and detoxification.

It follows hot on the heels of a book by Gina Kolata called "Ultimate Fitness" where she writes about the science of fitness and how some people have major difficulties getting fit or losing fat with certain exercise regimes. Genetic testing can provide insight into this as well as provide pathways for preparation of athletes for their given spot.

I know I must be sounding like an advertisment by now - it's a new tool in our exercise science kit and one that I'm very interested in. I am in the process of testing my own genetic profile. I'll get to find out if I truly recover badly or not (I'm still sore from Tuesday's leg session).

Anyway, I am sure I will have more on these developments as I get into them further! I will be uploading product details to www.thefitnesssolution.com.au over the weekend.

Big day tomorrow - I'm off to support Lisa in the National Powerlifting Titles tomorrow. I'm so proud of her hard work and discipline - without exception (of course!)