The Presence of The Concept of Social Darwinism in Sport

“It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change. ” This was quoted by Charles Darwin, the man behind the theory of Darwinism and natural selection. Natural selection is when an organism can adapt to the environment by changing the genotype, or the construction of genetics of their offspring. By doing so, it increases the chance of survival of their species for generations to come. Natural selection is “the preservation of a functional advantage that enables a species to compete better in the wild” (Darwin’s theory of Evolution. com). The species will slowly and slightly have variations, not suddenly adapting and becoming more endowed, but gradually beneficially mutating certain features and physical health of the species over time. Darwin believed that more superficial species evolved into complex ones through time, and the small variations turned the species into a whole other creature. Darwin’s theory of genetic variation can be seen played out in sports.

Genetics plays a great role in the outcome of a person’s success in their chosen sport. In many sports including swimming, gymnastics, basketball, rugby and sumo wrestling, genetic variation plays a role in achieving the pinnacle of the sport. For example, in a sport such as swimming where a millisecond can determine 1st or 2nd, the arm span of the athlete will affect the pull of the stroke leading the athlete to victory or to defeat. Michael Phelps is now a retired swimming legend known for his seven world records, 23 Olympic gold medals, and the title of most decorated Olympian of all time. With a towering height of 193cm and an arm span of over 2 meters, Phelps has a great genetic advantage over his competitors. His lengthy arm span which is over 3 inches longer than his height, allows him to pull his body through the resistance of water with optimum speed and propulsion. His lower body is shorter than expected resulting in less resistance through the water. His massive palms and size 14 feet act as paddles and flippers to pull and kick ideally. All the genetic advantages that Michael Phelps received help him to be one of the greatest athletes of all time.

Although genetics does play a role in sport, without exercise and training, no matter how genetically capable the athlete is, they will not accomplish the high standards that a professional athlete would. Exercising frequently whether in a gym or in a specific sports environment improves the cardiorespiratory system, ligaments, tendons, bones, as well as the muscular system. High-level athletes, don’t win Olympic medals after training for a day, it takes years of hard work and dedication towards the sport to become the best. For example, Vanessa Ferrari, an Italian Olympic gymnast placing fourth in the 2012 London Olympics has a genetically petite figure of 146cm. Her short height and light weight allows her to flip and tumble with great speed packing all her rotations into one jump. The average gymnast is very petite and lean. Vanessa got her petite figure through genetics; however, in order to have the power to lift her body and tumble, she requires lots of muscular strength. Through long-term training, the athlete has developed muscle hypertrophy, with so a body fat percentage of 14. 6 which is well below the average. With such a low body fat percentage, Vanessa Ferrari’s vast majority of the weight is muscle. Starting this vigorous and technical sport at the age of 11, and now training twice a day, the gymnast has put tremendous effort and time into achieving the high standards that she has today. Training this often has strengthened her ligaments and tendons, as well as densifying her bones, providing a lower risk for injury. It has also given her a massive amount of strength and power through muscle hypertrophy, leading her to a gold in 2006 all-around world champion.

Another example would be Serena Williams, a professional tennis champion winning the Wimbledon seven times. With one tennis match lasting up to 3 hours, muscular endurance, and cardiovascular endurance, as well as a great respiratory system, is vital to perform at the highest level. Serena Williams training program consists of a couple of hours of skill-based training, followed by one to two hours of gym based training working on her strength and cardiovascular endurance. Serena also includes yoga and Pilates three times a week in her exercise program for core strength. By training consistently for a long period of time, capillarization takes place, an increase in hemoglobin, and the heart size increases, leading to more stroke volume. With more capillaries diffusing oxygen and carbon dioxide, the body can respire at a quicker rate, leading to less fatigue in the muscles, and more energy improving the performance of the athlete. A larger heart can pump a greater volume of blood consisting oxygen around the body to provide more oxygen particles to respire with.

As the body adapts to the intense training over time and improving their fitness, the athlete becomes more compatible to their sport, allowing them to compete at an elite level. In conclusion, Darwinism does play a role in sport. For a professional athlete, where competitors train roughly the same amount, genetics can be the deciding factor between a gold and a silver; however, a wise person said, “A trophy is earned in the hours that no one is watching”, meaning that training is the key to success in any sport. As much as an athlete is genetically advantageous, training with a great amount of intensity, and consistency without quitting strengthens the body, mentally and physically, providing the athlete with the skills and fitness needed for the sport. For a typical athlete, genetics does not matter as much since competitors can achieve a similar level through improving from harsh training sessions.