Elite athletes and the gene for angiotensin-converting enzyme

Abstract

The deletion (D) allele of the gene for angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) is associated with higher plasma and tissue levels of the enzyme and has also been related to a variety of cardiovascular complications, particularly myocardial infarction. On the basis of indirect evidence, we hypothesized that inheritance of the D allele would contribute to elite athletic ability. Over a period of 4 yr, 120 Caucasian athletes who were national (Australian) representatives in sports demanding a high level of aerobic fitness were recruited. Their ACE genotypes were compared with those of a community control group recruited randomly from the electoral roll. There was no difference in ACE genotype frequencies between the two groups. The DD genotype frequency was 30% in athletes and 29% in the control group, and the II genotype frequency was 22.5 and 22%, respectively. The results do not exclude the possibility that ACE genotype could be related to some attribute relating to a specific type of elite athletic ability or that there may be a difference between genders. Larger studies are desirable.

Hand grip strength: A phenotype suitable for identifying genetic variants affecting mid‐ and late‐life physical functioning

“…However, only a few specific genetic variants have been suggested to affect some of the phenotypes reflecting physical functioning. The findings from these and other studies have mostly been based on selected populations [i.e., young healthy males and elite athletes; Montgomery et al, 1998;Williams et al, 2000;Gayagay et al, 1998;Myerson et al, 1999] and have not been consistent [Taylor et al, 1999;Rankinen et al, 2000a,b;Frederiksen et al, 2002], or the association was confined to subgroups within the study sample [Geusens et al, 1997]. With respect to physical functioning, various different phenotypes [e.g., self-report; Christensen et al, 2000], a proportion of fast-twitch and slow-twitch fibers in skeletal muscle biopsies [Simoneau and Bouchard, 1995], magnetic resonance imaging of muscle mass [Gibbons et al, 1998], and measurement of maximal aerobic power (VO 2-max ) [Sundet et al, 1994] have been used in different studies, all of which suggested a genetic component to physical functioning.…”

“…Not many candidate genes associated with physical functioning have been identified. One suggestion has been a polymorphism in the gene encoding the Angiotensin Converting Enzyme, but the association was found only in small samples of young healthy males and elite athletes [Montgomery et al, 1998;Williams et al, 2000;Gayagay et al, 1998;Myerson et al, 1999], and not in all studies [Taylor et al, 1999;Rankinen et al, 2000a,b] and not among the elderly [Frederiksen et al, 2002]. A polymorphism in the gene encoding a receptor for vitamin D has been associated with grip strength in postmenopausal women, but only in a nonobese subgroup [Geusens et al, 1997].…”

The relationship between ACE genotype and risk of severe hypoglycaemia in a large population-based cohort of children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes

“…The D allele has also been associated with increased risk of hypertension, diabetic renal complications and cardiovascular complications. Some studies have shown an association between ACE and physical performance [17][18][19], and it has been proposed that there may be a similarity in metabolic features between hypoglycaemia and exercise [8,20,21], such that patients with type 1 diabetes and the DD genotype are at increased risk of severe hypoglycaemia compared with those with the II genotype [21].…”

Genska Terapija I Njena Implikacija U Sportu

“…Several studies have failed to identify any association between the ACE I/D polymorphism and elite human performance. Taylor, Mammote, Fallon, and Bockxmeer (1999) examined 120 Australian national athletes from sports deemed to demand a high level of aerobic fitness (hockey players, cyclists, skiers, track and field athletes, sweemers, rowers and gymnasts) and found no difference in ACE genotype and allele frequency compared with controls. Similarly, the cohort examined by Karjalainen, Kujala, Stolt, Mantysaari, Viitasalo, Kainulainen et al (1999) of 80 elite endurance athletes from Finnish national teams and one of the largest (192 athletes) studies by Rankinen, Wolphart, Simoneau, Maier-Lenz, Rauramaa, Rivera et al (2000) which also included skiers, long and middle distance runners, cyclists and biathlon, was also result in failure to demonstrate an association between elite athletes and the ACE genotype.…”