CK-MM gene polymorphism does not influence the blood CK activity levels after exhaustive eccentric exercise

Area of Science:

• Exercise Physiology
• Molecular Biology
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Inter-individual variability in blood creatine kinase (CK) response to eccentric exercise is well-documented.
• Gene variants, such as CK polymorphisms, have been hypothesized to explain these differences, but evidence remains inconclusive.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between the magnitude of creatine kinase (CK) response following strenuous eccentric exercise and the presence of the muscle CK-MM NcoI polymorphism.
• To determine if specific gene variants contribute to varying CK levels after exercise in young, healthy individuals.

Main Methods:

• Seventy healthy young subjects underwent strenuous eccentric exercise.
• Blood CK activity was measured at multiple time points up to 168 hours post-exercise.
• Subjects were categorized into quartiles based on their CK release magnitude, and genotype/allele frequencies of the CK-MM NcoI polymorphism were compared across these quartiles.

Main Results:

• Significant inter-individual variability in CK response to eccentric exercise was observed.
• No statistically significant differences were found in the genotype or allele frequencies of the CK-MM NcoI polymorphism among the different quartiles of CK response.
• The distribution of CK-MM NcoI genotypes and alleles did not correlate with the extent of CK release post-exercise.

Conclusions:

• The CK-MM NcoI polymorphism is not associated with the inter-individual variability in creatine kinase (CK) response to exhaustive eccentric exercise in young, healthy subjects.
• Other genetic or non-genetic factors likely play a more significant role in determining an individual's CK response to exercise.