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Is there a gender difference between ACE gene and race distance?
Seok-Ki Min1, Kazuei Takahashi, Hideaki Ishigami
1Graduate School of Health and Sport Science, Nippon Sport Science University, Tokyo, Japan. msk74842000@yahoo.co.jp
Summary
The angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) I allele is more common in endurance athletes, particularly males. Its frequency increases with race distance, showing a significant association in male athletes but not females.
Area of Science:
- Sports Science
- Human Genetics
- Exercise Physiology
Background:
- The angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) gene polymorphism, specifically the insertion (I) and deletion (D) alleles, has been investigated for its association with athletic performance.
- Previous studies suggest a potential link between ACE genotype and endurance capacity, but findings across different populations and genders require further clarification.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between the ACE gene (I/D) polymorphism and race distance in Japanese university track athletes.
- To evaluate the influence of gender on the relationship between ACE genotype and athletic performance across different race distances.
Main Methods:
- Genotyping for the ACE I/D polymorphism was performed on 277 Japanese university track athletes (176 men, 101 women).
- Athletes were categorized into short distance (SD, ≤200 m), middle distance (MD, 400-800 m), and long distance (LD, ≥1500 m) groups based on their primary competitive events.
- Statistical analyses, including chi-squared tests and multinomial logistic regression, were used to determine associations between ACE genotype and race distance, considering gender.
Main Results:
- The ACE I allele frequency showed a significant increase with increasing race distance (44.4% in SD, 48.4% in MD, 66.2% in LD; p < 0.001).
- Multinomial logistic regression revealed significant associations between ACE genotype and race distance exclusively in male athletes (e.g., ID vs. SD, p = 0.004; II vs. LD, p = 0.001).
- No significant association between ACE genotype and race distance was found in female athletes.
Conclusions:
- The ACE I allele is significantly overrepresented in endurance athletes compared to sprinters.
- The association between ACE genotype and race distance is gender-dependent, with a stronger link observed in male athletes.
- These findings suggest that the ACE I allele may contribute to endurance performance, with its influence potentially modulated by gender.
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