COMT gene
Performance scientists have paid close attention to a gene on your 22nd chromosome. The COMT gene (also known as your "competitive" gene) influences the rate of dopamine metabolism in both your brain and body. The long form (MB-COMT) serves as a membrane anchor in nerve cells of the prefrontal cortex in your brain. The short, soluble form (S-COMT) influences the rate of dopamine catabolism in tissues such as the liver, kidneys, bone marrow, and heart.
For athletic purposes, your “competitive” gene is chemically responsible for the development and use of physical, mental, and emotional skills, as well as pain tolerance, detoxification, and the rate of fatigue resistance (both physical and mental).
Based on the twin study “Meta-analysis of the heritability of human traits based on fifty years of twin studies” (Nature Genetics), human heritability values can vary by warrior trait, which moves an individual in one of two ways, such as…
Adrenaline-seeking athlete
“Warrior”
50% Nature + 50% Nurture
Primed to Always Be Ready
Dopamine-driven athlete
“Become the Warrior”
30% Nature + 70% Nurture
Calm Before the Storm
Personality Differences
And… It’s complicated.
For the “Warrior” athlete, it takes less nurturing effort to maintain their “competitive” readiness. These individuals are more excited than nervous. But for the “Become the Warrior” athlete, it takes more nurturing effort to maintain their “competitive calm before the storm.”
Warrior’s
Body-Soul-Mind formula.
Adrenaline Seeking +Oxytocin-GLA
Emotional Intelligence
Novelty Seeking
High Pain Tolerance
Cognitive Flexibility
Speed of action
Intended Effect
Self-efficacy
Creativity
Intuition
Become the Warrior’s
Soul-Body-Mind formula
Dopamine+Oxytocin-GLA
Cognitive Intelligence
Pattern Recognition
Low Pain Tolerance
Mental Stimulation
Clarity of Thought
Intentional Effort
Speed of Thought
Internal Rewards
Memory Recall
Oxytocin-GLA
(one of the six flow hormones: Oxytocin-GLA, Dopamine, Adrenaline, Endorphins, Serotonin, Anandamide )
comes from the heart and drives the love of self to play.
“You learn more about a person in an hour of play,
than in a year of conversation.”
-Plato
Nutritional Differences
The nutritional nurture for the Warrior athlete vs the Become the Warrior athlete is NOT the same.
And… It’s very complicated.
So complicated, it takes 4 days of reading to learn and understand the differences, which include…
Different amounts and types of protein.
Different fruits & vegetables for different reasons.
Caffeine is a yes for one & a no for the other. (No exceptions and not in moderation.)
Vitamin E is a yes for one & a no for the other.
Magnesium is so-so for one & a must for the other.
Intermittent fasting is a no for one & a maybe for the other.
Small-dose creatine for one & a larger dose for the other.
A list of nootropics and adaptogens for one & a different list for the other.