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Int J Sports Med 2005; 26(6): 442-447
DOI: 10.1055/s-2004-821108
Physiology & Biochemistry

© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Is there an Association between ACE and CKMM Polymorphisms and Cycling Performance Status during 3-Week Races?

A. Lucía1 , F. Gómez-Gallego2 , J. L. Chicharro3 , J. Hoyos4 , K. Celaya5 , A. Córdova6 , G. Villa7 , J. M. Alonso8 , M. Barriopedro1 , M. Pérez1 , C. P. Earnest9
  • 1Universidad Europea de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
  • 2Departamento de Toxicología y Medicina Legal, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain
  • 3Department of Enfermería, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain
  • 4Asociación Deportiva Banesto, Madrid, Spain
  • 5Caja Laboral, Basque Country, Spain
  • 6Departamento de Bioquímica y Fisiología, Universidad de Valladolid, Spain
  • 7Departamento de Educación Física, Universidad de León, Spain
  • 8Servicios Médicos, Real Federación Española de Atletismo, Spain
  • 9The Cooper Institute Centers for Integrated Health Research, Dallas, TX, USA
Further Information

Publication History

Accepted after revision: May 20, 2004

Publication Date:
27 September 2004 (online)

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Abstract

In this paper, we examine the association between polymorphisms of the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) and muscle-specific creatine kinase (CKMM) genes, and the actual performance status observed in professional cyclists capable of completing a classic tour stage race such as the Giro d'Italia, Tour de France, or Vuelta a España. To accomplish this, we compared the frequencies of the ACE and CKMM genotypes/alleles in 50 top-level Spanish professional cyclists that have completed at least one of these events to 119 sedentary controls, and 27 elite (Olympic-class) Spanish runners. The genetic polymorphism at the CK-MM locus was detected with the NcoI restriction endonuclease. The results of our study showed that the proportion of the DD genotype was higher in cyclists (50.0 %) than in the other two groups (p < 0.05), the proportion of the ID genotype was higher in controls (46.2 %) than in the other two groups (p < 0.05), and the proportion of the II genotype was higher in runners (40.7 %) than in the other two groups (p < 0.05). The proportion of the D allele was higher in both cyclists (65.0 %) and controls (57.6 %) than in runners (46.3 %) (p < 0.001), whereas the proportion of the I allele was higher in runners than in the other two groups (p < 0.001). No statistical differences were found for CKK-MM-NcoI. We conclude that in top-level professional cyclists capable of completing a classic 3-wk tour race, the frequency distribution of the D allele and the DD genotype seems to be higher than in other endurance athletes such as elite runners (in whom the I allele is especially frequent).

Key words

Genotype - allele - sports - endurance

References

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MD PhD Alejandro Lucía

Universidad Europea de Madrid

28670 Villaviciosa de Odón

Madrid

Spain

Fax: + 34 9 16 16 82 65

Email: alejandro.lucia@mrfs.cisa.uem.es

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