"Many "recreational" athletes push themselves harder than olympic competitors. Their bottleneck is talent and they attempt to overcome this with drive and deter

"Many "recreational" athletes push themselves harder than olympic competitors. Their bottleneck is talent and they attempt to overcome this with drive and determination" I would re-label talent as "genetics". [0] There is a genetic profile of people who have the advantages of speed and endurance over mere mortals. [1] Then there is the rest of us. With respect to "drive and determination" I agree. Taking into account age (youth is another measure of fitness), no amount of training, preparation, conditioning or pharmaceuticals make up for this genetic deficit. Reference [0] For example the relationship between ACTN3 and sprinting: "Top sprinters may have key gene" (2003) http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3183119.stm http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3183119.stm [1] "Physical Performance Predictors of Success in Special Forces Assessment and Selection" http://dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a245729.pdf http://dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a245729.pdf