Are african americans more athletic because of being selectively bred for slavery?

Question

-African american men seem more athletic (stronger and faster) than alot of the other races and not as many short in stature either as compared to other races.
-could this be the result of slaves having been selectively bred to produce the most able-bodied offspring?

Jimmy the Greek insisted that african americans and caucasians are physically different in their makeup. (something about longer tendons in the legs if I recall correctly) He acted like we were not even the same species or something. I'm not saying that, in fact I think you could do the same thing with white people if we bred selectively for physical attributes alone over generations.

Answer 1

You might want to consider economic and social issues in addition to race.

True, more blacks than whites play basketball, football, track, and baseball.

However, more whites than blacks play ice hockey, tennis, golf, swimming, polo, archery, wrestling, boxing, body building, volleyball, gymnastics, downhill skiing, cross-country skiing, rock climbing, tri-athalons, marathons, and horse racing.

More latinos than blacks play soccer (the most popular sport in the world).

More asians than blacks compete in tai kwon do, karate, sumo wrestling, and other martial arts.

The difference in race ratios lies in neighborhood athletic opportunities, cost of equipment/club membership, and parental/peer encouragement.

Have you noticed that the vast majority of American black athletes originate from poor neighborhoods? Have you noticed that the sports American blacks excel in are the ones with the lowest entry costs? Usually just a pair of sneakers and a ball.

Anyway, it's about the 'hood that one grows up in, not about race.

Answer 2

Short answer is no.

Explanation is as follows:

This is an image issue created by what people seek to excel at.

Is it a fact that there are a majority of "blacks" in sports? Few would argue no.

However, the question becomes what do those African Americans who are athletic do a majority of the time. You may find more often than not that at an early age a large percentage of these African Americans are playing sports. The are playing after school, on weekends, and during school. The playing is conditioning their body for the sport that they are participating in.

Selective breeding may be a factor but the overwhelming factor is the age old axiom of practice makes perfect.

Tiger Woods is great at golf. I'm sure he cannot dunk well. He has been playing golf for years not playing basketball. He is good at what he has played all his life.

Answer 3

Slavery has ZERO to do with anything, especially athleticism (as a point of order blacks were never bread here or in africa to be slaves--its a simple fact that the african blacks that kidnapped other black africans and who them sold them to Dutch traders were just who ever got caught--same thing still happens in africa as blacks were doing these things for thousands of years.
Further, these is no reason for your assumption that blacks are better athletes--if there were any selection at all it would be among the few whites and blacks that survived the dangers of sea voyaging at that time.
Regarding black athleticism it's not that black people are more athletic--although the media make every attempt to over emphasize their athleticism over equally talented white athletes (take the London Olympics and the deliberate disqualification of a white girl with no faults and the deliberate oversight of two beam faults by the black girl--then later edited out the two faults of the black girl when the "highlights" were shown on American TV).
Actually the body has two kinds of muscles. Long muscles are best for running, jumping, etc., (more common for blacks) whereas the body's short muscles are better for weight lifting (why you see few black weight lifters--and are more common in whites) and work that needs the heavy push pull associated with shorter muscles.
So it just depends on which sport you are looking at as to which athlete is superior blacks or whites.

Answer 4

Hi im not African or American but i can empathize with what you are saying, i think that if a religion is good in this day at this time in history for someone then so be it, i think that the roots are always corrupt the christians burnt witches who did no harm they did some evil **** but karma always takes care of it in the end. apparently there are no youngsters wanting to be christian monks anymore, possibly because of the way christians have treated other people over history, i think christianity may die out one day and we will all become a loving peaceful spiritual family no matter what our blood type, colour race or creed, what a lovely picture that will be!

Answer 5

Bred for athleticism by 250 years of slavery? That is 25 generations. Yes it might be possible but mostly I think its natural talent. Even African blacks are very talented. Look at the east African marathoners. They obviously are genetically superior for endurance running because they have a very high proportion of slow twitch muscles that use oxygen the most efficiently. The weatern Africans though have a high percentage of fast twitch muscles which are very useful for sprinting and jumping. Both of these adaptations were for their environments. The open savannahs require long distance ability for successful hunting and the dense jungles of east Africa require sprinting ability for hunting.
The agrarian societies of the white dominated northern hemisphere have lost these high proportions of either and have a more even mix of slow and fast twitch muscles.

Answer 6

to some degree yes. that could explain some of why American blacks are so much larger. But you look at the African Olympians who run and who are much smaller. They were never bred or exposed to slavery. Why are they so dominate? Just food for thought.

Answer 7

No.

Some groups in Africa tend to be taller; there are more shorter people in colder climates, than in warmer. This long pre-dated slavery, and is a general mammal thing (people and critters near the poles tend to be shorter limbed and stockier to preserve body heat).

But most of the reason for the dis-proportionate number of blacks in athletics is due to the lack of opportunity for blacks in this country. If the only way you see out of the lowest economic rung is playing ball, that's what you'll focus on.

Answer 8

Not all african-american men are athletic,its just like with every race good genes.

Answer 9

HA, whose to say. Selective breeding did happen during slavery but how long has it been since anyone told them how to breed? A LONG TIME! If its selective breeding then they are doing to selection themselves. I guess if they are breeding for the purpose of being good sportsmen, then they are doing a pretty good job at it.

Answer 10

.I do not think so really. I was at a store and very little boy came running out. mama!?He saw his mother. he started to run. and damn he looked like an athlete. a white little boy his age would have fell down twice.running like that!I was empressed. they have for millions of years. been in the native environment and they simple know how to be athletic. I think that's great, we white people have been siting on our butts. on chairs, do a Little walking, raised some crops. I admire that In my black brothers and sisters, we are all different. and it is good to be different. god loves us all and made all races different. and god CAN NOT BE WRONG. In how he made humans. that is not the reason.other wise they wouldn't have greater chances of high blood pressure. and other health problems, going by your theory. they would be about perfect. it is simply in the DNA.