Twin-sibling study and meta-analysis on the heritability of maximal oxygen consumption
Schutte NM, Nederend I, Hudziak JJ, Bartels M, de Geus EJC · 2016
grade Bmeta-analysisindependentreplicated
Sample
479 twins/sibs (112 MZ, 109 DZ pairs); meta n=1,088 across 7-8 studies
Population
Dutch adolescent twins (16-18) and siblings (12-25); meta pools twin cohorts of children and adults
Design
Maximal graded cycle ergometer test plus two submaximal prediction protocols; the 72% figure is restricted to directly measured VO2max. C could be dropped without loss of fit throughout.
Key findings
Measured VO2max h2 = 60% [47-69] in ml/min and 55% [43-64] in ml/min/kg. Meta-analytic weighted h2 = 59% [52-66] (ml/min) and 72% (ml/min/kg, measured only). All pooled studies converge on absence of detectable shared environment: household does not explain aerobic capacity variance.
Genetic confound
Classical twin design, equal-environments assumption. Adolescents are co-resident, so shared environment should be maximally detectable here, yet is absent.
Effects
| Outcome | Metric | Value | Measure | Timing | Vs | Horizon | Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Directly measured VO2max, absolute | h2 (twin-sib) | 60% (95% CI 47-69%) | standardized | adolescence, single maximal test | none | not-applicable | health |
| Directly measured VO2max, per kg body mass | h2 (twin-sib) | 55% (95% CI 43-64%) | standardized | adolescence | none | not-applicable | health |
| Pooled VO2max heritability across cohorts | weighted h2 (meta) | 59% (95% CI 52-66%) ml/min; 72% ml/min/kg for measured VO2max | standardized | pooled, childhood to adulthood | none | not-applicable | health |
| Shared environmental variance (C) in aerobic capacity | C variance | no detectable C in any included study | standardized | pooled | none | not-applicable | health |
Cited by
- Physical activity as an input — dose, fitness, and school outcomesno effectconf: mediumgc: low
- Talent and trainability — what is heritable, and what that does not licensestrong supportconf: highgc: low