Thread: Body type and diet

Body/Bone structure is genetic.

Originally Posted by BraveUlysses

Body/Bone structure is genetic.

You're genetic.

The answer is a qualified yes, while genetics set the determine general structural features, metabolic gene expression is determined by many factors and is relatively plastic in nature.

Thus, the hardgainer or ectomorph is in fact, functionally determined by what is called imprinting (parental gene expression influenced by environment), by maternal hormones, by early and late developmental factors that influence gene epxression and control, regulated by diet, health history, behavior feedback, sleep patterns and hygiene, etc.

Example: I stopped growing at age 15-16 and didn't reinitiate growth until after after 20-22, due to dietary, sleep, stress, and nutritional shortages. I was and still am the shortest person in my family at 5'5", while my twin is 6'2, sister is 5'8", etc.

At age 20, I was 5 foot. I added 5 inches as a supposedly mature adult. My frame changes accordingly. Now, my bone plates should have been fused by age 19-20. There is no similar history of late development in my family, so genetics be damned, this was environmentally delayed growth. My twin is a ecto, I'm a mixture of endo and meso.

Mesomorphs are the norm. Ectos and endos are physiologically determined expression of genetic polymorphisms of hundreds of enzymes that play a role in many, many pathways within the body. The key pathways are almost all in liver, however. So its environmental factors in liver and brain, that I can demonstrate (and have elsewhere, in original deductive logic) by numerous example that are plastically expressed and determine muscle and energy anabolism/catabolism tendencies (metabolic set points).

Diet is the predominant factor. Lipotrophic elements drive gene expression regulation. Other lifestyle factors then cause abberation of expression that results in endo and ectomorphic somatypes.

I say its 90% your diet growing up, and 10% genetics.

For example, I was chubby/fat nearly all of my life (topping out at 5'7 180lbs at 14yrs of age) until the age of 15-16 when I went on this crash diet, and I hit a <b>low</b> of 5'8 and 140lbs. I was ignorant of proper nutrition then and followed the common motto at the time - "just stop eating" and I did. By the age of 18, I had gained all that weight back and then some and was around 5'9 190, and disgustingly fat. I continued to gain and at 22 I was the same 5'9 and 205. I was absolutely disgusted with my body and appearance and would avoid going out. It was pitiful, and I was pitiful. By 24 I had lowered my weight down to 185 without any proper nutrition/workout regimine. I just ate less, but still lots of bad carbs/sugary bull**** and fat.

I read about the endo/etco/meso thing in college and thought I was simply a endomorph without even looking at my own diet. I got caught up in all that genetics bullsh** without looking at my habits.

Needless to say, I've now found out that I'm NOT an endomorph, I don't gain weight easily, and with cardio and nutrition the weight comes off quite easily-and I cheat also. I'm definetly in the best shape of my life now at 28 at 5'9 160 at around 11-12% BF and I'm getting leaner.

Originally Posted by Trouble

At age 20, I was 5 foot. I added 5 inches as a supposedly mature adult. My frame changes accordingly. Now, my bone plates should have been fused by age 19-20. There is no similar history of late development in my family, so genetics be damned, this was environmentally delayed growth. My twin is a ecto, I'm a mixture of endo and meso.

Can I ask what you think you did to help spark this delayed growth spurt?

Nice answers.