Why Are Jamaicans So Fast?

Why Are Jamaicans So Fast? | World Record Holder and Olympian Usain Bolt

by Venesha Johnson | Associate Writer

Jamaica may not be involved in a lot of activities worldwide but yet we have managed to leave our stamp on the world. You see, while we don’t have participants in every sport or music genre and other things that would give a country global recognition, the few things that we do participate in, whether it is just our beautiful island as a tourism hotspot, or our Dancehall and Reggae music, our captivating food and culture, Jamaica has definitely managed to stand out among the 195 countries of this world.

It is a global phenomenon that Jamaica produces some of the best sprinters in the world. It is a fact and simply not debatable. But the question you and many others may have is, how? How can such a tiny island that is barely a speck on the world map create such global dominance in sprinting, setting and breaking records repeatedly? Why are Jamaicans so fast?

Many may argue that Jamaicans are just naturally fast, others may say that it is mostly through hard work and determination, maybe it's the yam, dasheen and coco. Well, let’s break them down. Here are some of the proposed reasons why Jamaican athletes perform so well, especially in sprinting.

Genetics

You can always leave it up to scientists to come up with an explanation for pretty much everything. So there is a gene, ACTN3, that research has found to be present in around 70% of Jamaicans. The ACTN3 has a form of protein that is found in fast-twitch muscle fibres, that is responsible for creating rapid and forceful muscle contractions necessary for activities like sprinting.

This gene has been found in high percentages of Jamaicans and Black West Africans. Some have argued that this gene being a significant contributor to the speed of Jamaicans is a myth, simply because it is true that the gene is present in most black persons, shouldn’t it also mean that all black people with the gene should be sprinters?

Ancestry

Another suggestion related to the biological make of Jamaicans is our ancestry. According to our history, the slaves that landed in Jamaica from West Africa were the strongest and the fastest of all, factors that contributed to their survival. Many believe that these were biological traits that have been passed down to many Jamaicans.

Credit is also given to the physique of Jamaicans and Black people in general when compared to that of other races. Professor Errol Morrison, who was a president of the University of Technology (UTech), stated that our distinct physique gives us an advantage in sprinting.

The shape of the backbone and hip, the way it is aligned with the pelvis allows the knees to lift higher in comparison to those who have a straighter back. He also said that the narrow shape of the chest wall of most black athletes compared to that of their white or Asian counterparts allow them to breathe faster, which leads to a faster exchange of oxygen and quicker recovery.

Diet

If you ask any Jamaican this question, “Why are Jamaicans so fast?”, one of the guaranteed responses will be “a di food, a di grung food man”. And you know what? They might just be right. Authentic Jamaican food, which many still stick by, contains naturally grown ingredients.

One of our major foods is yam, especially yellow and white yams. Yam which is a tuber vegetable produces hypersteroids that act as a form of stimulus, while another of our popular food, green bananas produces a substance called phytate.

Phytate helps to replenish energy supplies. Now don’t go eating a copious amount of yam and green banana and think you will become the next great sprinter. The effects of these foods on Jamaican sprinters are long term results as most have been introduced to these foods since they were babies.

Determination Of Jamaicans

Finally, but probably most importantly, is motivation and determination. Many Jamaicans grew up poor and had very little. Many athletes used their past to motivate them to go hard and do their best so they can build a better life for themselves and their families.

When asked by Firstpost in December 2019, Jamaican sprinter and gold medalist Yohan Blake responded “...I think the way I was brought up (helped me become successful). We were very, very poor. We had to work ourselves out of poverty. Education wasn’t the way to do it. It was just sports. So it was just natural. When we were young we would spend a lot of time outdoors...”

I think this question, why are Jamaicans so fast, will be a question we will be forever trying to answer.

But, Whatever the reasons, they will be inherited by future athletes, whether through genetics or hard work and coaching. The world can look forward to seeing more Jamaican athletes going home with gold medals.

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References & Sources For Why Are Jamaicans So Fast?

1. Prof Morrison tells why are Jamaicans so fast, https://www.jamaicaobserver.com/sport/Prof-Morrison-tells-why-Jamaicans-run-so-fast_9306187  
2. Firstpost Explains: How does Jamaica consistently produce world-class sprinters?-Sports News, Firstpost, https://www.firstpost.com/sports/firstpost-explains-how-does-jamaica-consistently-produce-world-class-sprinters-8059061.html  
3. Crosstalk: The Genes of Jamaican Sprinters and Missing Indian Super-Athletes, https://thewire.in/health/genes-jamaica-actn3-olympics

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