The "J" gene

[nrut88]

Anyone here ever heard of the "J" gene? Most super athletes have it. Makes your neuro-muscular reflexes (brain to muscle connection) faster than the average human. Heard this from a very prominent DO. Anyone else?

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[Febrifuge]

My 5-second search says:

Nothing on Google.
Nothing on PubMed.

What the heck is a J-gene, anyhow? Which chromosome is it on? Does it code for a structural protein, a transcription factor, an enzyme, what?

We didn't talk about it in my Cognitive Neuroscience course, either, and the instructor does research on attention and perception, so the neuro-muscular reflex thing would have been part of it.

We need more info from you because so far, there's nothing to go on. Sorry. This wouldn't be immunoglobulin-J by any chance, would it?

 

[nrut88]

I'm not too, too sure about it myself. Thats why I was asking. What I do know is that it's something people (mainly blacks) are born with.

Here's an example:

Larry Byrd. Doesn't have the J-gene. He was a great basketball player because he practiced his @$$ off shooting free throws and three pointers all day.

Lebron James. DOES have the J-gene. Born with natural ability. Amazing reflexes and made an explosion in the NBA at age 18.

Zach Thomas. Doesn't have the J-gene. Excellent NFL linebacker. Worked his ass off EVERY DAY starting in elementary school to fulfill his dream to go to the NFL. Average NFL linebacker.

Terrell Davis. DOES have the J-gene. Amazing NFL tailback. Never even played highschool football.

 

[docB]

That smells like smoke. There must be flames coming this way.

 

[Gut Shot]

I'm not too, too sure about it myself. Thats why I was asking. What I do know is that it's something people (mainly blacks) are born with.

Here's an example:

Larry Byrd. Doesn't have the J-gene. He was a great basketball player because he practiced his @$$ off shooting free throws and three pointers all day.

Lebron James. DOES have the J-gene. Born with natural ability. Amazing reflexes and made an explosion in the NBA at age 18.

Zach Thomas. Doesn't have the J-gene. Excellent NFL linebacker. Worked his ass off EVERY DAY starting in elementary school to fulfill his dream to go to the NFL. Average NFL linebacker.

Terrell Davis. DOES have the J-gene. Amazing NFL tailback. Never even played highschool football.

This sounds like when my friends and I head out for some Vitamin A (alcohol). There have been several genetic variants associated with athletic performance, a quick search turned up ACE and ACTN3. The J-gene more likely represents a half-assed, armchair genetic explanation for the difference in work ethic required to reach the athletic elite. I mean, c'mon, one of my friends says her mother has the Dingbat gene, but I don't think it's going to be cloned any time soon.

 

[pavel_freidman]

I'm not too, too sure about it myself. Thats why I was asking. What I do know is that it's something people (mainly blacks) are born with.

Here's an example:

Larry Byrd. Doesn't have the J-gene. He was a great basketball player because he practiced his @$$ off shooting free throws and three pointers all day.

Lebron James. DOES have the J-gene. Born with natural ability. Amazing reflexes and made an explosion in the NBA at age 18.

Zach Thomas. Doesn't have the J-gene. Excellent NFL linebacker. Worked his ass off EVERY DAY starting in elementary school to fulfill his dream to go to the NFL. Average NFL linebacker.

Terrell Davis. DOES have the J-gene. Amazing NFL tailback. Never even played highschool football.

bro you're way off base here. to sum up all of professional sports and athletic ability in 2 incredibly loose associations with no experimental evidence to support them is ridiculous. now i am not asserting that this gene "j" does not exist.... i don't know. what i do know however, is that just because le bron's the man doesn't mean a white, hispanic, asian, etc. phenom hasn't before or won't in the future emerge in a similar manner.

 

[Law2Doc]

I'm not too, too sure about it myself. Thats why I was asking. What I do know is that it's something people (mainly blacks) are born with.

Here's an example:

Larry Byrd. Doesn't have the J-gene. He was a great basketball player because he practiced his @$$ off shooting free throws and three pointers all day.

Lebron James. DOES have the J-gene. Born with natural ability. Amazing reflexes and made an explosion in the NBA at age 18.

Zach Thomas. Doesn't have the J-gene. Excellent NFL linebacker. Worked his ass off EVERY DAY starting in elementary school to fulfill his dream to go to the NFL. Average NFL linebacker.

Terrell Davis. DOES have the J-gene. Amazing NFL tailback. Never even played highschool football.

I think Jimmy the Greek got fired from the networks for suggesting a racial- genetic basis sports along the line you suggest. Just because some people may be born athletes does not mean there is any racial linkage or that the ones in a specific race you list are. Unclear why you think Larry Bird didn't get to where he is thanks in part to his genetic make-up. Certainly Lance Armstrong is an equally good example of someone whose genome gives him an impressive advantage in his sport -- there are many who train as hard and don't achieve that level of success.

 

[velo]

wow, pretty weak sauce.

I was at least expecting some half-assed population genetics study where someone demonstrated that this "J-gene" was slightly more prevalent in populations of athletes than in the general population...

 

[Matth52]

wow, pretty weak sauce.

I was at least expecting some half-assed population genetics study where someone demonstrated that this "J-gene" was slightly more prevalent in populations of athletes than in the general population...

Very weak sauce indeed. Besides you can't say that people like Larry Bird and Zach Thomas don't have overwhelming athletics ability or that Lebron and TO haven't spend hours practicing their sports.