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“The Sports Gene”
Feb. 6th, 2023 01:02 amI’ve been reading David Epstein’s The Sports Gene, which the No Strings Attached Book Club will discuss on Tuesday. There is of course no one sports gene, but multiple genes which interact with people’s environment to determine how athletic they will be; also, the genes and the slow-twitch muscle fiber which contribute to making someone an excellent endurance runner will not make him an champion sprinter, or a top weightlifter.
One thing which caught my attention was mention of a gene which makes people unable to metabolize acetaminophen, and subject to poisoning if they take it. Could I possibly have that? I remember that when I was given Tylenol as a child, when it first came out, I didn’t feel better; I felt worse if anything, although not deathly ill, so I have tried to avoid acetaminophen since. Also, I have read that it can be seriously toxic to the liver if you take too much, or combine it with alcohol.
I don’t recall 23andMe informing me that I have a genetic incapacity to take acetaminophen, but that may not be something they look for, or they may be restricted from giving that kind of medical advice.
One thing which caught my attention was mention of a gene which makes people unable to metabolize acetaminophen, and subject to poisoning if they take it. Could I possibly have that? I remember that when I was given Tylenol as a child, when it first came out, I didn’t feel better; I felt worse if anything, although not deathly ill, so I have tried to avoid acetaminophen since. Also, I have read that it can be seriously toxic to the liver if you take too much, or combine it with alcohol.
I don’t recall 23andMe informing me that I have a genetic incapacity to take acetaminophen, but that may not be something they look for, or they may be restricted from giving that kind of medical advice.
