The HIF1A gene Pro582Ser polymorphism in Russian strength athletes.

Hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (encoded by HIF1A gene) controls a number of genes that are implicated in various cellular functions including glycolysis and cell proliferation and differentiation. The rs11549465 C > T polymorphism in the HIF1A gene, which produces the amino acid substitution Pro582Ser, increases protein stability and transcriptional activity and, therefore, improves glucose metabolism. The aim of our study was to investigate the association between the HIF1A Pro582Ser polymorphism and elite strength athlete status. A total of 208 Russian strength athletes (122 weightlifters and 86 wrestlers) of regional or national competitive standard and 1,413 controls were genotyped using the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism method. We found that the frequency of the HIF1A 582Ser variant was significantly higher in weightlifters (13.1%, p = 0.0031) and wrestlers (15.7%, p = 0.0002) compared with the controls (7.5%). Additionally, the highest (21.1%, p = 0.0052) frequency of the 582Ser variant was found in a group of elite strength athletes. Thus, our study provides evidence for an association between the HIF1A gene Pro582Ser polymorphism and elite strength athlete status. Although more replication studies are needed, the preliminary data suggest an opportunity to use the analysis of HIF1A polymorphism along with other gene variations and standard phenotypic assessment in sports selection.

The combined impact of metabolic gene polymorphisms on elite endurance athlete status and related phenotypes.

Endurance performance is a complex phenotype subject to the influence of both environmental and genetic factors. Although the last decade has seen a variety of specific genetic factors proposed, many in metabolic pathways, each is likely to make a limited contribution to an 'elite' phenotype: it seems more likely that such status depends on the simultaneous presence of multiple such variants. The aim of the study was to investigate individually and in combination the association of common metabolic gene polymorphisms with endurance athlete status, the proportion of slow-twitch muscle fibers and maximal oxygen consumption. A total of 1,423 Russian athletes and 1,132 controls were genotyped for 15 gene polymorphisms, of which most were previously reported to be associated with athlete status or related intermediate phenotypes. Muscle fiber composition of m. vastus lateralis in 45 healthy men was determined by immunohistochemistry. Maximal oxygen consumption of 50 male rowers of national competitive standard was determined during an incremental test to exhaustion on a rowing ergometer. Ten 'endurance alleles' (NFATC4 Gly160, PPARA rs4253778 G, PPARD rs2016520 C, PPARGC1A Gly482, PPARGC1B 203Pro, PPP3R1 promoter 5I, TFAM 12Thr, UCP2 55Val, UCP3 rs1800849 T and VEGFA rs2010963 C) were first identified showing discrete associations with elite endurance athlete status. Next, to assess the combined impact of all 10 gene polymorphisms, all athletes were classified according to the number of 'endurance' alleles they possessed. The proportion of subjects with a high (≥9) number of 'endurance' alleles was greater in the best endurance athletes compared with controls (85.7 vs. 37.8%, P = 7.6 × 10(-6)). The number of 'endurance' alleles was shown to be positively correlated (r = 0.50; P = 4.0 × 10(-4)) with the proportion of fatigue-resistant slow-twitch fibers, and with maximal oxygen consumption (r = 0.46; P = 7.0 × 10(-4)). These data suggest that the likelihood of becoming an elite endurance athlete depends on the carriage of a high number of endurance-related alleles.

Association of the VEGFR2 gene His472Gln polymorphism with endurance-related phenotypes.

Vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2) is essential to induce the full spectrum of VEGF angiogenic responses to aerobic training. In the present study, we examined the impact of the functional His472Gln polymorphism of the VEGFR2 gene on elite athlete status, endurance performance and muscle fibre type composition. Four hundred and seventy-one Russian athletes were prospectively stratified into four groups according to event duration, distance and type of activity, covering a spectrum from the more endurance-oriented to the more power-oriented. VEGFR2 genotype and allele frequencies were compared to 603 controls. To examine the association between VEGFR2 genotype and fibre type composition, vastus lateralis muscle biopsies were obtained from 45 physically active healthy men and 23 all-round speed skaters. In addition, 76 competitive rowers performed incremental endurance exercise to allow analysis of genotype associations with exercise responses. We found that the frequency of the VEGFR2 472Gln allele was significantly higher in endurance-oriented athletes compared to controls (36.8 vs. 27.4%, P = 0.0006). Relative VO(2max) was significantly greater in the VEGFR2 472Gln allele carriers compared with the His/His homozygotes of the sub-elite female rower group only. Genotype-specific differences were found for the proportion of slow-twitch fibres in both athletes and controls, which was approximately 10.1 and approximately 7.4% higher in the His/Gln and Gln/Gln genotypes than in the His/His genotype group, respectively. In conclusion, we have shown for the first time that variation in the VEGFR2 gene is associated with elite athlete status, endurance performance of female rowers and muscle fibre type composition.