Theory: Being a great runner is from muscle memory passed down through your DNA.

Muscles do not have cognitive abilities, they don't remember anything.

Where did the ancestor get their ability?

Yeah, kind of like how giraffes have long necks because their ancestors stretched out their necks reaching for high leaves.

But it has been shown that memories can pass parents to offspring through DNA and their genetics so it is possible that the act of running efficiently was passed on from parents to offspring creating a naturally better runner.

Just Maybe wrote:

But it has been shown that memories can pass parents to offspring through DNA and their genetics .

Where, and when has it been shown?

I don’t recall any memories from my parents. I think they are all mine.

Predictor wrote:

I don’t recall any memories from my parents. I think they are all mine.

Maybe because your parents have no memories. Luckily for your children, you do.

similar idea wrote:

Yeah, kind of like how giraffes have long necks because their ancestors stretched out their necks reaching for high leaves.

^^this^^

OP, go google ‘Lamarck’

[quote]Just Maybe wrote:

But it has been shown that memories can pass parents to offspring through DNA and their genetics so it is possible that the act of running efficiently was passed on from parents to offspring creating a naturally better runner.[/quote

This^^^^

Joe Rogan talks about the theory that memories can be passed along so I can certainly see OP theory working.

Yes, as Joe said I have lots of my parents memories. They passed them me on some shiny 6"x4" cards.

Being a great runner is from muscle memory passed down through your DNA

assuming that "muscle memory" is an actual thing, if it had some genetic component that was passed on in DNA, then this would not just apply to athletes but also to folk in other areas where "muscle memory" contributes to performance. for example, the children of great pianists would themselves be great pianinsts, or the children of famous jugglers, or tap dancers, or magicians, would also excel at their parent's chosen field.

can you name any?

there have been a very, very small number of great athletes who had children who were great athetes, and there are an incredibly small number of families with several great athletes, the Ingebrigtsens and the Borlées spring to mind, but there are nowhere near enough of these to suggest that muscle memory has a genetic component that can be passed on so that the attribute can be harnessed by the progeny.

unfortunately, this means that if you want to be good at something, you have to work hard and then work even harder.

cheers.

Since you asked...

Musically, Bob Dylan’s son Jakob has had a good run fronting The Wallflowers. Nancy Sinatra followed her dad with a few hits of her own. Zak Starkley drummer for Oasis and The Who is a better player than his dad Ringo. (perhaps he should jam with fellow Beatle offspring Dhani Harrison and Julian Lennon). Ziggy Marley, Natalie Cole, Zappa’s kids, Hank, Jr (then Hank III), Shooter Jennings can double down with his mom and dad...

In sport, the group that fascinates me is here:

http://www.herald-dispatch.com/sports/big-red-machine-players-kids-make-impressive-lineup/article_219f4a18-1361-5c41-ae72-cc7bc8aa2ccc.html

And in US politics there are the Adams, Bush and Kennedy clans.

What actually happens is that the raw ability is passed down, even if the ancestors never used it.

Knowing some progenitor had ability might prompt the runner to actually try the sport.

2/10, I guess

Lots of dumb folk here

Great running DNA:

1) Femur to height ratio

2) Narrow pelvic bones to height

3) Naturally higher than average T-level

I am sure I left out some genetic traits. All traits necessary for a man to race sub-3:50 1500m. Even the Marathoners need some speed.

Great running DNA wrote:

Great running DNA:

1) Femur to height ratio

2) Narrow pelvic bones to height

3) Naturally higher than average T-level

I am sure I left out some genetic traits. All traits necessary for a man to race sub-3:50 1500m. Even the Marathoners need some speed.

Yeah, you left out all the important ones. The ones you mention are icing on the cake.

Memory is passed on through DNA? This must be why some med schools love legacy admits: if your parents already learned medicine, all that knowledge is going to be in your DNA and the school won't have to teach you as much.

You're talking about epigenetics. More research is needed.

VO2 is King wrote:

Great running DNA wrote:

Great running DNA:

1) Femur to height ratio

2) Narrow pelvic bones to height

3) Naturally higher than average T-level

I am sure I left out some genetic traits. All traits necessary for a man to race sub-3:50 1500m. Even the Marathoners need some speed.

Yeah, you left out all the important ones. The ones you mention are icing on the cake.

You are imply sprinting speed is icing on the cake. By your handle you are imply VO2max is based on genetic traits from parents. VO2max as you should know is a function of one's physical activity and one's weight. I should have named a 400m time. All of Al Salazar's fans would then have told me all the speed needed is 60 400m speed to be an elite Marathoner. To avoid that discussion, I named a 1500m time.