Genetically Appropriate Stress Strategies for Performance Excellence

Why Can Some Kids Handle Pressure While Others Fall Apart by Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman. The New York Times Magazine.  February 6, 2013.

Reaction to stress is, to a certain extent, governed by the enzyme that clears dopamine from the prefrontal cortex, an enzyme which is assembled according to instructions found in the COMT gene.
While the tendency to be a "worrier" (slow-clearing enzyme)  or a "warrior" (fast-clearing enzyme) is influenced importantly by the COMT gene, the effect is not absolutely determinative of performance.  Training can make worriers sometimes even more effective than warriors in extremely stressful situations.  The key is to provide competitive  performance opportunities to both warriors, to provide them with the intensity they are suited for, and the worriers,  to provide them with the productive stress inoculation they need.