The consumer genomics industry has rapidly expanded in the past
few years, due to the popularity of ancestry services and increased
efficiency in DNA collection methods. People can now learn the secrets
of their genetic blueprints with increased speed and accuracy. What this
means for the industry as a whole is exploring new avenues to utilize
this information for delivering profitable consumer-driven services.
While ancestry may have opened the door, the health and fitness
industries are poised to be the next wave of genomics services.
Advancements
in the study of fitness' genetic components have begun slowly
registering in the public consciousness. Whereas previous approaches to
fitness and exercise essentially advocated hard work and
self-discipline, the nascent field of fitness genomics is turning that
notion on its head. Rather than advocate a hard work above all approach,
fitness genomics is focused on finding the right workouts and fitness
regimens for individuals based on their genetic marker maps. Instead of
the standard, one-size-fits-all approach, fitness genomics instead seeks
to optimize every individual's in-born abilities and inclinations.
Some
people are naturally pre-disposed to be better marathon runners than
sprinters, others are naturally efficient weightlifters while others
struggle to build muscle and definition. This differences are not based
in lack of effort but rather variations in genetic makeup. For example,
the ACSL1 gene has been previously linked to affecting the body's
ability to metabolize fat. There are a number of ways to assess these
fitness-related markers.
First, there is the obvious full genetic
collection and SNP testing method that companies perform for their suite
of services, including fitness. Another approach is to assess a
person's phenotypes. Phenotypes are the actual physical traits expressed
by specific gene combinations. For individuals looking to understand
what physical traits they can enhance without delving into the deeper
genetic roots, phenotype analysis is a practical route to explore and
one that fitness genomics can profit from as a whole.
Once a
person's genome is analyzed and they discover what markers affect them,
the next step is interpreting that information and putting it to use.
Using a proprietary algorithm, the company provides consumers with a set
fitness score, based upon a variety of genetic markers affecting muscle
fiber development, metabolizing fat, oxygen usage, etc.
This
score is then used to help consumers to choose from a variety of
exercises designed to help optimize their health by accentuating those
markers' positive attributes. Instead of searching for the perfect
workout through trial and error, people can now stick to workouts that
play to their genetic strengths. Both workout time and effort are
reduced while results improve.
With both wearables and the
Internet of Things gaining ground in both pop culture and the consumer
market, migrating this data over to consumers for planned action is the
next logical step. Personal health apps and wearables accessing this
data for daily workout usage is a strategy consumers will adopt..
Fitness
genomics is poised to reinvent the entire health industry, similar to
the introduction of supplements. People will understand how to approach a
healthier lifestyle that fits how they were literally born to be. This
future vision is not one decades in the making; it has already arrived.
To learn more, go to http://www.dnaspectrum.com
Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Christopher_Tisch
0 التعليقات:
Post a Comment