Variation in peroxisome proliferator activated receptor α gene in elite combat athletes

Abstract

Peroxisome proliferator activated receptor (PPARα) is a main regulator of energy metabolism, as it regulates the expression of genes encoding several key muscle enzymes involved in fatty acid oxidation. Importantly for power sports, it may affect pathways of glucose metabolism, which can be critical in power-based sports. The aim of this study was to analyse the distribution of the PPARα gene polymorphisms in mixed power/endurance athletes. The study was carried out on elite combat athletes and sedentary individuals, in an attempt to determine possible relationships between genotype and physical performance. We tested 60 male elite Polish combat athletes. Control samples came from 181 unrelated sedentary volunteers. The G/C polymorphic site in PPARα intron 7 was scanned using the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) protocol with TaqI enzyme. Differences in the distribution frequency of this polymorphism were assessed by chi-square analysis. The results revealed that frequencies of the PPARα GG genotype (73.33% vs. 54.70%; P=0.04) and G allele (82.50% vs. 70.17%; P=0.01) were significantly higher in the elite combat athletes compared with sedentary controls. The results confirm the significance of the PPARα gene as a useful genetic marker in combat athletes. However, these results should be supported with more experimental data on PPARα polymorphisms with larger groups of elite athletes. © 2011 European College of Sport Science.