“Research into how a father’s choices — such as diet, exercise, stress, nicotine use — may transfer traits to his children has become impossible to ignore.”
Think Lamarck rather than Darwin.
AI summary: Emerging research suggesting that a father’s lifestyle — including diet, exercise, stress, and toxin exposure — may influence his offspring’s biology not just through DNA but through molecules in sperm, especially RNA. Studies, mainly in mice, have found that changes in sperm-carried RNAs can alter gene expression in embryos, potentially affecting traits such as metabolism and endurance in the next generation. One recent study traced how microRNAs associated with paternal exercise are linked to enhanced metabolic and muscular traits in offspring, and similar signatures appear in sperm from physically trained men. However, the precise mechanisms of how experiences are encoded, packaged into sperm, and then influence development remain unclear, and researchers urge caution in interpreting results, especially for humans.
Yeah. My dad had a physically demanding job and was strong and reasonably fit as a result, but didn’t exercise or work out at all. Didn’t drink at all, and had quit smoking some years before I was born. I think I’m a lot like him in many ways.
Of course the interesting thing about this article are its Lamarckian implications.
My father was as old school as they come. All kinds of activities and sports until getting married and having children. By the time I came around (4th of 4) he was 40-50lbs overweight, not a lick of exercise and caught up in “the rat race” Never encouraged and sometimes simply disallowed any of us to participate in athletic activity because it cost too much or more accurately inconvenienced his routine. None of my 3 siblings partook in anything athletic, but I was always drawn to them but the only organized activity I could play was soccer because it was cheap (then). I was a fat kid, unusual for the time, who didn’t break out of it until after my developmental years.
My dad was an avid backpacker, competitive runner in high school, and a recreational road rider when I was growing up. At 75 and with parkinson’s he still gets out and rides a few times a week these days on his gravel bike.
I don’t know if this conferred any genetic predisposition to me (I certainly wouldn’t have minded inheriting a higher VO2 Max ) but I’m absolutely certain that my dad’s love for the outdoors and physical activity served as an example that has shaped the course of my life. Thanks, Dad!! (and Mom, too!)
My dad swam competitively through HS and was a recreational cyclist until we were born. He didn’t do much through our childhood other than ride bikes with us and had a weight set that I probably used the most out of anyone in the house. There was definitely smoking/drinking going on back in the day too. He turns 70 in a few months and for the past 10ish years has gotten into triathlon since I was doing it and does 2ish 70.3s a year and is on a master swim team (I think).
My partners dad skied until probably the last 5 years or so, his wife couldn’t ski anymore so he stopped, and he still rides his bike regularly including fundraiser century rides I think he is about to turn 83 or 84. He also grew up on a farm.
Think we were setup pretty well there and hopefully the same for our daughter.
There is certainly that possibility, but the very interesting thing about this article is that it isn’t about that. It’s about epigenetic inheritance, something beyond genetic inheritance influenced by your fathers habits, not his genes.
I’ll add my N=1. My dad (now 75) didn’t really do any organized sports when he was a kid in the 50s-60s, but was always very active in his adult life. He was into racquetball when younger and was quite good was my understanding. He is still skiing and golfing as well. So no endurance activities, but I would definitely say having him as an active person has influenced me. No way to know if me loving golf and skiing is genetic or just a great way to spend time with him. I guess I found cycling myself
My dad is 67. In high school he was a football/baseball/basketball/track stud. I have seen old newspaper clippings ranging from winning youth bowling tournaments when he was like 12, or dragging multiple defenders into the end zone after catching a pass.
He tore up his knees pretty bad in a skiing accident and other injuries in college that took a toll on his hardcore athletic endeavors. He still played racquetball a ton growing and a few other things.
Aside from that, he’s ALWAYS lifted weights. For as long as I can remember growing up, he’d be awake before anyone else and at the athletic club lifting weights many days/week. That’s been going on as long as I have been alive (37), and he still lifts a couple days a week. I remember going on a family vacation with them in July 2022, after he had a full shoulder replacement 6 months earlier. I was in the backyard and his bedroom window was open, I see in and he’s doing full push ups.
I have to think that it has totally influenced me. I’ve been an avid weightlifter since I was 13/14. In high school I had the 2nd most weight room days in the school for a couple years. I would say for the last 23+ years, I’ve probably averaged 3 days/wk lifting for 20 of those years. Had a few, few months hiatuses sprinkled in there. Anymore, I usually lift twice a week since picking up biking a couple years ago. In my peak I could deadlift 455x6 and bench press 275x10. I was also 200+ lbs, while now I’m around 158 lbs. Even at my smaller weight, I deadlift 265x6 and bench press my weight around 10-12x. Unfortunately nagging wrist/shoulder injuries have required more regular modifications to my training program than I would prefer.
I have a 4 year old daughter and 1 year old son and it will likely rub off on them. My wife was quite the beast in the gym, and she’ll be getting back into it soon. At one point she was squatting 225x5, while weighing about 115 lbs.
My dad was not an exerciser but he was a scratch golfer, local club champion, and undefeated in high school. If one knows how hard golf is, then one can appreciate how good he was. It’s like being a local cat 1 in cycling.
Plus that was a scratch golfer on 1960s golf technology.
My dad was a good athlete but once adulthood hit he was not particularly active. I’m sure walking while golfing helped but he wasn’t doing any vigorous exercise
My dad, at the age of 84, works as an indoor cycling instructor. 3 lessons a week. He will retire May next year. No tekno being played. All ´60s and ´70s Rock
My dad wasn’t a particularly good role model for keeping fit..
Hopefully I’m setting my daughter a better example, even when it got difficult to keep my training consistent when I was dad taxi! ( not sure what reason to record that as )
My dad is a jazz musician who prefers to stay in a dark basement most of the time. I don’t realistically think he has ever made it above zone 2 at anything. But he can really blow a saxophone, so maybe that’s something.
No. He had a big hole in his leg where a childhood infection had got down to the bone and he was lame, and angry and unhappy most of his life. He didnt get called up to war because of the leg so it was a blessing in some ways.
I remember him having to sit in baths full of detol disinfectant when I was a child trying to keep the scar clean.
Even without the leg though, he wouldn’t have been healthy. I grew up in social housing with him smoking 20+ roll-ups and a pipe every day, drinking and eating masses of meat. He died of a stroke at 63 when I was 9 years old.
) but I’m absolutely certain that my dad’s love for the outdoors and physical activity served as an example that has shaped the course of my life. Thanks, Dad!! (and Mom, too!)
)