Genetic Testing

I believe that the more you know about your health, the more you can do to improve it. This belief in our ability to determine our own future is part of what makes me a runner, and what makes me a proponent of genetic testing. I'm a big fan of 23 and Me, the genetic testing company, and when the price came down to under $100, I immediately went ahead with the test. To give you a sense of what information the testing gives you, I've included some screen shots and printouts from my results. If you go ahead with the testing, or you already have been tested, then I'll accept any sharing invitations on 23 and me so you can see my full details. If you'd like to support this site, then please use this referral link to 23andme.com.

My Genetic Profile

There is a huge amount of data on 23andme.com, but I've attempted to give you a reasonable overview of my profile. For each area that23andme.com reports on, I've included a screenshot, and a link to a PDF printout of the page. Each entry in the page has a link to more details and I've included a couple of exercise related traits.

This page gives a list of other health conditions and your probable risk based on your genetic markers. Note that this is only a probability based on some genetic markers, so an elevated risk does not mean you will get the disease, nor does a reduced risk mean you are immune. For a full printout of this page see File:Health and Traits - Health Risks - 23andMe.pdf.

This report shows a list of conditions that are genetically inherited. For a full printout of this page see File:Health and Traits - Inherited Conditions - 23andMe.pdf.

This report shows genetic propensity to a modified response to certain drugs. For a full printout of this page see File:Health and Traits - Drug Response - 23andMe.pdf.

Similar to the list of inherited conditions, this report covers things that are not necessarily detrimental to your health, such as how curly your hair is. I've included two of these traits, how you are likely to respond to exercise, and whether you're likely to be a sprinter or in endurance athlete. For a full printout of this page see File:Health and Traits - Trait Predictions - 23andMe.pdf.

It's interesting to see that my genetic predisposition includes one of the two genes for being a sprinter.

I have the typical response to exercise when trying to lose weight.