The question do black people have an extra muscle is often asked when people notice the dominance of some black athletes in various sports especially sprinting and basketball. The answer is no. Black people have no more muscles than any other race and at birth they have the same number of bones and muscles.
However, there are some things that can contribute to a person’s athletic abilities. One such factor is the environment and culture in which a person grows up in. For instance, a child growing up in Kenya will be more likely to hone his or her muscles through vigorous exercise than a child living in America or Europe. This early training can make him or her perform as if he or she has an extra muscle.
Another thing that can help a person’s performance is genetics. A study conducted by Claude Bouchard found that West African students had more of the large fast-twitch muscle fibers, which allow intense bursts of power. This can explain why so many black athletes are able to run or sprint faster than their white counterparts.
A final factor that can contribute to a person’s performance is body composition. Studies have shown that blacks tend to have less body fat than their white counterparts of the same age and weight. This can also explain why many premier black athletes perform as if they have an extra muscle. However, a dissociation between DEXA-measured body fat and body weight was observed.