London (PRWEB UK) 29 September 2013
Matt Roberts, renowned industry health and fitness expert, is offering a UK first for gym goers – new ‘personalised training’ programmes based on an individual’s unique genetic response to exercise and diet.
Gone are the days of endless hours of arduous workouts. Now, with Matt Roberts DNAFit Body Performance Pro personal training sessions can be structured around a genetic roadmap to fitness making the time at the gym more efficient and effective.
It is all derived from a simple DNA test. Matt Roberts DNAFit Body Performance Pro examines 30 gene variants - slightly different versions of genes between people - linked to a body’s capacity to cope with training and food.
They include the so called ‘power gene’ - a test of Olympian power athletes revealed all had a variant of it – and FTO, the ‘fat gene’ which scientists have discovered can make fatty foods more tempting and alter levels of the hunger hormone, Ghrelin.
People order the test online and take a simple mouth swab that is then sent away for DNA analysis. The results present the Matt Roberts’ trainers with an in-depth picture of that individual so they can best determine how to train them, their propensity towards strength/power and endurance based activity, the risk of injury and their optimum recovery time.
The test analyses whether people have fast or slow twitch muscles and therefore what their athletic strengths are. Training to fast or slow twitch disposition is credited with extreme improvements in performance among athletes in David Epstein’s new critically acclaimed book ‘The Sports Gene.’
One example given by Epstein is that of a kayaker struggling to make it into the Olympic team in the 500m event. Found to have mainly slow twitch muscle fibres and therefore more suited to endurance training, he changed to a longer distance event and went on to become one of the best in the world.
The Matt Roberts DNAFit Body Performance Pro test also identifies a person’s best diet plan - low carb, low fat or a Mediterranean diet of fresh fruit, veg and fish.
A bespoke report is then drafted using the data and a consultation with Matt’s team. People can also opt for a face-to-face consultation at one of Matt’s four London gyms in Chelsea, Hampstead, Mayfair and the City.
The partnership between Matt Roberts Personal Training and UK-based Lasarow Healthcare Technologies (who developed the test) presents the trainers with a unique ability to offer something new and exciting to consumers.
Matt Roberts said, “This test will revolutionise training by helping us draft a genetic roadmap to better fitness and wellbeing. What this will give us is evidence-based data of how bodies respond to training and diet. It’s the fitness equivalent of cracking the DNA code.
“Whether it’s to lose weight, sculpt your body, perform better or prevent injury, I predict DNA gym training will become the standard across the fitness and sports industry. We’re proud Matt Roberts’ clubs will be the first to offer this ground-breaking service.”
Avi Lasarow, DNA Entrepreneur and founder of DNAFit and Lasarow Healthcare Technologies, added, “I’ve worked in the field of DNA testing for many years and this is the most exciting breakthrough I’ve seen.
“It spells the end to training in vain. You can’t change your genes but you can change your exercise. People will now be able to train smart and make the most of their time in the gym, confident they have a workout that works best for them.I believe DNAFit tests will be a disrupter in the fitness industry and in the same way Google and Facebook now play a part in our daily lives, DNAFit testing could achieve the same magnitude of change.”
Matt Roberts DNAFit Body Performance Pro costs £200 and can be bought in the clubs and online at dnafit.com and mattroberts.co.uk.
ENDS
Notes to Editors
For interviews, email jen(dot)roberts(at)commucan(dot)com or telephone 020 7549 0733.
Matt Roberts DNAFit Body Performance Pro has been developed by UK-based Lasarow Healthcare Technologies and Matt Roberts Personal Training to help people optimise their fitness with training and nutritional programmes tailored to their genetic results.
The genes tested reflect an individual’s strengths and weaknesses in exercise and diet. In total 30 genes - and their variants are tested.
They include ACTN3, the so called ‘power gene’ - a test of Olympian power athletes revealed all had a variant of it – and FTO, the ‘fat gene’ which scientists have discovered can make fatty foods more tempting and alter levels of the hunger hormone, Ghrelin.
Exercise training affects the way that our genes are switched on and off. For example, acute and chronic training can influence the body’s insulin resistance, glucose metabolism and use of fats for energy. A training programme can also reduce the effect of inflammation after an exercise bout, thereby improving the speed of recovery, increasing an individual’s antioxidant profile and providing more physiological support to the stress of exercise.
To tie in with the launch, a OnePoll survey of 1,000 gym goers found only half (53%) think their workouts are working and 79% could be putting themselves at serious risk of injury by not following professional exercise plans.
63% said they made up their own plan with a further 1 in 7 (14.5%) admitting “I don’t really know what I’m doing.” Only 21% said they followed a plan set by the gym or a personal trainer. And 54% of gym goers have stopped regularly going to the gym because they’re busy at work (30%), too tired (29%), it’s too expensive (21%) and they failed to see the results (13%).
About Matt Roberts DNAFit Body Performance Pro
Matt Roberts’ DNAFit Body Performance Pro tests for 30 genes and genetic variants in four categories:
1) Power and Endurance, 2) Tendon Pathology 3) Recovery and 4) Diet
1) The Power and Endurance section tests genes that code for physiological factors such as circulation, blood pressure control, strength, cardio-pulmonary capacity, mitochondrial synthesis, muscle fibre type specialisation (slow or fast twitch response), muscle fibre hypertrophy, cardiac output, muscle metabolism and adaptability to training regimes.
The genes tested are: ACTN3 (the ‘Power Gene’), AGT, ACE, VEGF, BDRKB, ADRB2 Arg16Gly, ADRB2 Gln27Glu, NRF-2, PPARGC1A, PPARA, TRHR, VDR, IL-6
2) The Tendon Pathology section examines genes that are involved in the structural integrity of soft tissues in the body. Certain genetic variants can show a predisposition to tendon injuries (including AchillesTendonitis), plus ligament, cartilage and bone pathology.
3) The Recovery genes are the best example within this genetic panel of the need to integrate training and nutritional advice when supporting an athlete’s health and fitness. The featured genes consider a person’s disposition to inflammation and free radical stress within the body, which may imply the need for more focussed nutritional support, along with extended recoveries between training repetitions and sessions.
The genes tested for tendon pathology and recovery are GDF5, COL1A1, IL-6R, CRP, IL-6, TNF, SOD2
4) The Diet section tests genes that have an effect on fat absorption, metabolism, insulin sensitivity, exercise responsiveness, fat storage and inflammation.
The genes tested for diet are: FTO T>A (the ‘Fat Gene’), FABP2 Ala54, PPARG Pro12Ala, ADRB2 Arg16Gly, ADRB2 Gln27Glu, APOA5 T>C, APOA2 -265 T>C, MC4R T>C, TCF7L2 C>T, ADBR3 Trp64Arg, CLOCK T>C, PLIN G>A, TNFA–308 G>A
About Matt Roberts
Matt Roberts the man is the personal trainer to the stars, having trained celebrities from Naomi Campbell to David Cameron. Matt is also the principal of Matt Roberts Personal Training.
Matt Roberts Personal Training is the biggest one-to-one training company in the world. Their team have spent more than 500,000 hours working with clients to help them achieve results.
Matt’s training centres in Chelsea, Hampstead, Mayfair and the City are the first gyms in the UK to use DNA testing with their clients. The Matt Roberts name is synonymous with producing results, holistically and efficiently. The philosophy is about providing a complete solution to an individual’s health and fitness needs.
About Lasarow Healthcare Technologies
DNAFit is the flagship product of Lasarow Healthcare Technologies.
Lasarow Healthcare Technologies was set up by Avi Lasarow, a South African entrepreneur who has successfully launched a number of companies in the health sector.
Avi commercialised the world's first Hair Alcohol Test with his company, Trimega Laboratories; rolled out the first roadside drug testing project in South Africa; was engaged by the Attorney General and the Head of Civil Aviation of Libya to identify victims of the 2010 Libya Afriqiyah Airways flight disaster through DNA analysis and is working on projects such as a test for foetal alcohol syndrome in new born babies and testing for ARV compliance amongst HIV sufferers in developing countries.
Avi, who is one of South Africa's leading international entrepreneurs, has been appointed Honorary Consul for the Republic of South Africa to the Midlands region of the UK.