Is your ring finger longer than your index finger? Then you might be a good runner.
Canadian running wrote:
New research from the University of South Australia and the University of North Dakota says maybe we should. Their recent meta-analysis—pulling data from over 5,000 people across 12 countries—suggests that the length of your ring finger compared to your index finger might offer a clue to how well you’re built for distance. The findings, published in the American Journal of Human Biology, point to a measurement known as the 2D:4D ratio.
The 2D:4D ratio compares the length of your index finger to your ring finger. A lower ratio—when the ring finger is longer—is linked to higher exposure to testosterone in the womb. That early hormone environment may shape everything from your cardiovascular system to your response to physical stress later in life.
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In the study, runners with lower digit ratios were better at holding higher intensities before fatigue set in—a trait known as exercise tolerance. It’s not about speed or VO₂ max, but how long you can keep going when things get tough. For marathoners, that’s the whole game. One of the study’s lead researchers, Bethany Gower, called the link “significant” for both performance and potential.
