ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE ENHANCING ACE, ACTN3, AMPD1 GENETIC MARKERS, FITNESS CHARACTERISTICS, C-REACTIVE PROTEIN AND URIC ACID OF CRICKET, NETBALL, RUGBY AND SOCCER PLAYERS: A REVIEW

Abstract

Sports is a large industry with vibrant leagues running in many countries. Some of the most popular sports are soccer, rugby, cricket and netball. To meet the demand for better performance of athletes and sustain this growing industry, coaches and trainers have depended on the manipulation of factors such as physical and physiological parameters, nutrition, tactics, techniques and psychological factors to try and improve the performance of athletes. These have been referred to as the environmental or nurture constraints. The quest for better performance continues hence microtechnology such as accelerometers, heart rate monitors and global positioning systems are also being used to gather data to determine some of the physical and physiological demands of games. Evidence from studies with twins revealed that there are performance traits which are genetically determined. Research also shows that more than 60% of performance in sport and exercise is genetically determined. The unraveling of the human genome and advances in molecular biological studies resulted in the quest for knowledge relating to the influence of genes at the molecular level on performance in exercise and sport. The human genome project established approximately 20 000 genes in humans. To date, the gene map for performance and health-related fitness phenotypes has identified more than 200 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with some performance and fitness linked traits. Among the most studied gene polymorphisms are the angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) gene, the human α- actinin-3 (ACTN3) gene and the adenosine monophosphate deaminase (AMPD1) gene, as they relate mostly to anerobic and aerobic related activities. The use of hematological and biochemical indicators to identify injuries and exercise stress calls for exploration of association between gene polymorphisms and indicators such as C-reactive protein, uric acid and blood parameters such as red blood cells and sub-components of leukocytes.