Key To Love Of Exercise Found In DNA

by Annina Bergman | September 7, 2009 at 12:10 pm

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A study of identical and fraternal twins has shown that the love of exercise may in fact be a genetic trait.

The study was conducted at the University of North Carolina. 5,334 identical twins and 8,028 fraternal twins participated in the study, which showed that the exercise habits were twice as likely to be the same in the identical twins than in the fraternal twins. Identical twins have the same genetic makeup, while fraternal twins share about half of their genes.

Another study conducted in seven European countries in 2006 showed that genes had a 48% to 70% influence on physical activity. The studies suggest that the tendency to exercise might be triggered by different reactions to dopamine, which is released when exercising.

Though the science doesn't imply that people disinclined to exercise can't get moving, it helps explain why some people find it more difficult than others to "just do it."

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