A premature stop codon in ACTN3 resulting in α-actinin-3 deficiency (the ACTN3 577XX genotype) is common in humans and reduces strength, muscle mass, and fast-twitch fiber diameter, but increases the metabolic efficiency of skeletal muscle. Linkage disequilibrium data suggest that the ACTN3 R577X allele has undergone positive selection during human evolution. The allele has been hypothesized to...

We examined the association of R577X polymorphism (rs1815739) in the α-actinin-3 (ACTN3) gene with "explosive" leg muscle power performance in a group of male and female elite volleyball players (n=66, 31 men, 35 women) and in a group of non-athletic male and female young adults (n=334, 243 men, 91 women). We assessed power performance by means of the vertical squat and counter-movement jump te...

Training variants (type, intensity, and duration of exercise) can be selected according to individual aims and fitness assessment. Recently, various methods of resistance and endurance training have been used for muscle hypertrophy and VO2max improvement. Although several genetic variants are associated with elite athletic performance and muscle phenotypes, genetic background has not been used ...

The ACTN3 gene is one of the genes that have a potential influence on physical performance. Studies have shown that the 577R genotype of ACTN3 is more prevalent in sprint athletes, while the 577X genotype is more prevalent in endurance athletes. In swimming, both power and endurance related phenotypes are equally needed for swimmers to excel at the elite level. Therefore, the ACTN3 R577X polymo...

In this study, we investigated the association between ACTN3 R577X polymorphism and non-acute ankle sprain by measuring the allele frequency and genotype distribution of ACTN3 in a Chinese Han population. We recruited 100 patients with non-acute ankle sprain and 100 healthy controls with no history of ankle injuries. Mass spectrometric analysis of single nucleotide polymorphism was used to anal...

α-Actinin-3 is a Z-disc protein expressed only in type II muscle fibers. A polymorphism in the ACTN3 gene (R577X) results in lack of α-actinin-3 in XX genotype. The prevalence of the mutated X-allele is lower among power/sprint oriented athletes compared with controls, indicating that the lack of α-actinin-3 is detrimental in these sports, but a mechanistic link has not been established. Result...

A common polymorphism (R577X) in the α-actinin (ACTN) 3 gene, which leads to complete deficiency of a functional protein in skeletal muscle, could directly influence metabolism in the context of health and disease. Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that states of glucose tolerance are associated with the ACTN3 R577X genotype. We analyzed the prevalence of the ACTN3 R577X polymorphism in peopl...

Hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1) is a transcription factor that regulates gene expression in response to hypoxia and has been associated with athletic performance. The aims of this study were (1) to determine the frequency distribution of HIF1A Pro582Ser (rs11549465) polymorphism among 155 Israeli athletes (sprinters and endurance athletes) and 240 healthy controls and (2) to analyze the infl...

A common polymorphism (R577X) in the a-actinin (ACTN) 3 gene, which leads to complete deficiency of a functional protein in skeletal muscle, could directly influence metabolism in the context of health and disease. Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that states of glucose tolerance are associated with the ACTN3 R577X genotype. We analyzed the prevalence of the ACTN3 R577X polymorphism in peopl...

BACKGROUND Genetic polymorphism is suggested to be associated with human physical performance. The angiotensin I-converting enzyme insertion/deletion (ACE I/D) polymorphism and the α-actinin-3 gene (ACTN3) R577X polymorphism have been most widely studied for such association analysis. However, the findings are frequently heterogeneous. We aim to summarize the associations of ACE I/D and ACTN3 R...