I don't know what want needs to show healthy skepticism. My ONLY absolute statement is that patterned population biology plays a role in sports success and that cultural exaggerates those small but (at the elite level) critical differences. That's it. That's the essence of moderation. Do I suggest that genetics determines success? No. Do I say that training, nutrition, opportunity, etc. are not ESSENTIAL to success? No. What do I say: that those who assert, without healthy skepticism, that population genetics does not offer a key piece of the puzzle explaining why there are such clear (and increasing) population distribution disparities are extremist. Moreover, all I'm pointing out is that the anthropological evidence parallels statistical evidence to suggest that sports success is bio-cultural, with "race" (or population) playing a key role in some sports -- running most particularly. You citation of Holland vs. Nigeria is classic post hoc anecdotes. You never address a key issue: why don't more Dutch athletes pursue sprinting. The answer is pretty clear: because they are not stupid...they see very well that they cannot compete at the ultra-elite level and therefore peel off to play games in which they are more suited. It's one of the reasons why Nigerians, for all your talk about their love of running, do not go into long distance running -- they simply cannot compete. Enlarge your universe to include the entire white and Asian world, and all of North and East Africa, roughly 95 percent of the world's population. There are more elite world class sprinters in any ONE of these countries--pick one: Ghana, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Cameroon -- then there are in 95 percent of the world's population. As for what Bengt Saltin concludes, he does not conclude that "it is very hard, if not impossible, to come to a definite conclusion." He does say it is very hard, but he certainly comes to one. This is what he said in a documentary that appeared on BBC 2 by the British production company "Black Britain" that aired in September, entitled ³The Faster Race.² Saltin: ³Itıs a strong genetic component what type of muscle fiber you have, either slow or face² said professor Saltin. ³And West Africans have already 70 or 75 percent of the fast type when they are born. And thatıs needed for a 100 meter race around 9.9 seconds.² People of West African ancestry have measurably higher percentages of fast twitch muscles, lower body fat, more efficient metabolisms, and body structures that makes for a very efficient bio-mechanical speedster. Thatıs why these athletes hold 97 percent of top sprint times including 494 of the top 500 100-meter times. Many of these characteristics are significant handicaps at endurance activities, such as swimming and distance running. What about distance running? Elite Kenyan runners, the worldıs best, have ectomorphic bodies, smaller natural lung capacity, more slow twitch muscle fibers, among genetically-linked traits. That makes for a slow sprinter indeed, the fastest Kenyan 100 meter time, 10.28, is a half second slower than the best times of West African descended athletes, and slower than elite whites or Asians but great distance runners. Saltin: ³The Kenyans are born with a fair number, a high number of slow twitch fibers. They have 70 to 75 percent of their muscle fibers being slow... Very many in sports physiology would like to believe that it is training, the environment, what you eat that plays the most important role. But we argue based on the data that it is in your genesı whether or not you are talented or whether you will become talented. The basis is in the genes of these runners. There is no question about that. The extent of the environment can always be discussed but itıs less than 20, 25 percent. Itıs definitely a dominant factor how they are born. I donıt see this as a racist issue.² On 5/3/01 10:34 AM, "t-and-f-digest" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > I do not disagree with Jon Entine outright on any issue as such. Nor am I > ignorant about statistics. I remain open-minded about population genetics > and performance. In fact I started out as a believer. But it is relatively > simple to check a few facts, as in the example I gave above, and in the case > of athletics the only conclusion one can come to is that it is very hard, if > not impossible, to come to a definite conclusion. This was, in fact, the > consensus arived at in Scientific American's Muscle and Sport special issue > in 2000. > > I have seen no sign of such healthy skepticism in Mr Entine's letters to > this group. None whatsoever. > > Again, I'm sorry to see you leave. Hope you change your mind. > > Cheers, > Elliott. -- Jon Entine RuffRun 6178 Grey Rock Rd. Agoura Hills, CA 91301 (818) 991-9803 [FAX] 991-9804 http://www.jonentine.com
