Getting and staying fit has become a top priority for many of us given the numerous physical, mental and health benefits that come with it. However, many people find it difficult to navigate the spectrum of exercises, routines, videos, blogs, experts and a variety of other info that is now available. Not to mention the vast varieties of equipment, supplements, products, programs etc. Though many of these are a fad, there are genuine scientific advances being made in the domain of human physical performance, that can have a huge impact on your training and the results you see. One such advancement is testing fitnessgenes-, the genes that influence human physical and physiological performance.
If you are unfamiliar with how fitnessgenes influence human physical performance, I recommend reading this blog first, which lists prominent examples of fitness genes.
Picture this, individuals with a specific variant of the ACTN3 gene, which is one of the most studied fitnessgenes have muscles which contract powerfully at high speeds because they secrete a specific protein called alpha actinin. This variant is commonly seen in Olympic sprinters compared to marathoners. The nature of your muscles, whether slow or fast-twitch is 45% dependant on genetic factors like your ACTN3 gene variant. This is nearly a 50%, a figure hard to ignore.
We intuitively recognize that fitnessgenes explain the difference not only in baseline human physicality but also, influence how different bodies respond to different exercises. Thus, as an individual who is committed to investing a certain number of hours in the gym on a regular basis, it helps to understand the genetic nature of your body.
Fitnessgenes testing has become popular recently with a number of companies offering services in this domain. We recently wrote a blog comparing the top 5 fitness genetics companies in the world. In this blog we offer a one to one comparison between two leading fitness genes testing company, Fitness Genes and Xcode Life Sciences.
FitnessGenes
Fitness Genes analyses specific genes with specific characteristics associated with fitness like muscle strength, recovery, metabolism, power/endurance profile etc.
| S.N | Feature of Comparison | Xcode Life | FitnessGenes |
| 1 | Type of genetic testing | Offers SNP genotyping from saliva | Offers SNP genotyping from saliva |
| 2 | Service providers of raw data accepted | ➤23andMe
➤Ancestry.com ➤ Family tree DNA ➤ Genos 2.0 ➤ DNA land ➤ all other major international data providers. |
Fitnessgenes does not accept raw data from ancestry DNA companies |
| 3 | No. Of Fitness Traits | Fitness traits – more than 15
Nutrition Traits- more than 30 New traits are added regularly |
Around 10-12 traits |
| 4 | Genetic variants tested | 300+ genetic variants | 40 genetic variants |
| 5 | Types of products offered | Nutrition, Fitness, Health, Ancestry, Allergy, Skin
Upcoming: Methylation and Detox analysis, Personality |
Focusses on fitness gene only |
| 6 | No. of years of service | 7 years (2010) | 4 years (2013) |
| 7 | Results turnaround | same day with 23andme data | 2 weeks |
| 8 | Report Structure | Reports cover certain important traits. Well structured and easy to understand | Reports cover certain important traits. Well structured and easy to understand |
| 9 | Counseling services | one counselling session | One counseling session with an expert |
| 10 | Recommendations | 1) Actionable recommendations provided in the report
2) Personalized diet chart, post nutritional counseling |
Recommendations provided based on genetic information |
| 11 | Price | 20$ (with your 23andme data) | Varies from 499$- 199$ |
| 12 | Downloadable Raw Data | Raw data with ~700,000 data points can be downloaded | Raw data not available |
Summary:
So, there you have it. If you need an in-depth report covering a large number of genetic markers at a reasonable price, Xcode Life is the choice to make. If you want personal training program and coaching to go with your genetic report, then Fitnessgenes could be the one for you.
As always, happy DNA testing!
Also read: DNAFit and Xcode Life and how to choose between DNA testing companies
DNA Testing: Which Genetic Test is right for me?
