Boot camps have become commonplace - but an emerging trend in this fitness space is the DNA boot camp. I signed up to 38 Degrees North's version, held in Ibiza, where three weeks before you begin you must send off a saliva swab to DNAFit in the UK, so that the company may analyse your DNA prior to your arrival.
The theory goes that through identifying specific markers in your DNA, your instructors will be able to determine not only what types of exercise are best suited to each participant specifically, but also identify which individual dietary requirements will best enable the healthiest possible version of "you". The result should be a bespoke boot camp, with every tortuous element tailored to your genome - so you can see the appeal here for WIRED.
From the outset, when I was given a briefing on the test results before any exercise even began, it was bad news. First, the diet: as a confirmed pasta lover, the dreaded revelation was that, according to my genes, I was highly sensitive to carbohydrates as compared to a "typical" person. Some genetic variants are associated with an increased response to refined carbohydrates, which can have a negative effect both on glycaemia and weight gain. In other words, I will get fatter more quickly eating pizza and pasta than someone without this gene profile.
Further misery-inducing notes included a raised need for antioxidants, vitamins B and D, and - worst of all - cruciferous vegetables (cabbage, sprouts, kale etc). My diet profile was pretty much exactly the opposite of my preferred supermarket shopping list. The only silver linings were having the necessary genes to process caffeine quickly, as well as an extremely low likelihood of coeliac disease (a genuine concern as it runs in the family). I was prescribed a low-carb diet with extra vegetables, with the strong advice that oily fish should more often than not take precedence over a nice, juicy steak.
The fitness briefing was not much cheerier. I had preferred weights and resistance exercises in the gym until now; however, the DNA test confirmed a 40/60 per cent split in favour of endurance exercise over power. Wonderful. More cardio coming my way, then.
This is when the 38 Degrees guys came into their own. The next four days of exercise (there was a middle "rest day", which I was crying out for by the time it arrived) were spent carving out a workout regime that was built entirely around this 40/60 profile.
Out went the heavy, low-rep dumbell sets, and in came kettle bell routines split neatly into two sections: one focusing on metabolic spiking for fat burning and power, the other on aerobic conditioning. Surprisingly, I loved this. A brilliant combination of low weights and instant aerobics, using multiple muscle groups to jump-start the heart in seconds, sent my BPM rocketing. (My previous weights regime was changed to vary between drop sets and super sets with higher reps and lower weights.)
Knowing I wasn't a huge fan of running, out came rope exercises and HIIT training to play to these strengths - the DNA test indicated a high VO2 max response, meaning that my body can take in more oxygen and send it to muscles, enabling me to run faster for a given effort.
After the five days of exercise and dieting, the results were strong. Whereas when WIRED has previously tested boot camps and experienced significant weight loss, with this DNA version, I had lost four per cent body fat while maintaining the same weight. This is the ideal outcome for body conditioning - muscle is heavier than fat, so to replace body fat with muscle, which raises the metabolism still higher, is the ultimate goal.
Now the truly hard work begins - ensuring the new, DNA-approved diet and exercise habits are preserved to continue the transformation. Course from £2,295
****: Jeremy White underwent the DNA boot camp from 38 Degrees North in Ibiza
****: After supplying a DNA sample to DNAFit, he was presented with a fitness and diet regime tailored to his profile
****: Once a baseline body weight and composition was recorded, he was subjected to five days of exercise and antioxidants to gain the maximum fitness benefits
****: WIRED stayed at the five-star Aguas di Ibiza hotel (www.aguasdeibiza.com) in Santa Eulalia del Rio, where a number of the boot camp activities are based and approved DNA profile meals are on offer
- V02 max response: Good
- Recovery speed: Average
- Injury risk: High
Gene: ADRB2
- Allele result: AA
- Effect: High
Gene: ADRB2
- Allele result: CC
- Effect: High
Gene: PPARGC1A
- Allele result: GG
- Effect: None
Gene: CRP
- Allele result: GG
- Effect: None
Gene: VEGF
- Allele result: GG
- Effect: None
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
