Survival of the Fastest: The Multivariate Optimization of Performance Phenotypes

Conclusions These performance trade-offs among the disciplines preclude the realization of a generalist athlete except in the most elite triathletes, a result similar to the “big houses, big cars” phenomenon in life history evolution. This distinction between trait combinations that are favored for optimal performance versus constrained by trade-offs was only apparent when accounting for individual level variation in athletic performance. Our results provide further evidence that meaningful trade-offs may be missed if individual variation in quality is disregarded.
Source: Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise - Category: Sports Medicine Tags: APPLIED SCIENCES Source Type: research