Fims Aspetar Young Investigator Award

Every 4 years we enjoy the extraordinary abilities of Olympic athletes, wondering how many gold medals Michael Phelps will win or how fast Usain Bolt will run the 100 metres. Talking about running, as the most natural sport, with no additional equipment, have you ever wondered why there are no Europeans, Asians or even east Africans ranked among the world’s best 100 metre sprinters? Although the most frequent explanation for this phenomenon has been environment and nurture, today science says otherwise. Elite sport performance represents a complex phenotype, composed of various intricately intertwined biological traits, some of which are manifested at the biochemical or physiological level (state of the musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, central nervous, pulmonary or even immunological systems), while others are expressed as psychological traits (dedication, motivation, perseverance, diligence etc). Each of these traits is shaped by both environmental and – Written by Tijana Durmic, Serbia MOVING FORWARD