Association Between The Angiotensin-converting-enzyme Gene And 100-km Ultra-marathon Runner’s Performance

Abstract

PURPOSE: The insertion (I) or deletion (D) polymorphism in the angiotension I converting enzyme gene, or ACE, (ACE I/D, rs1799752) has been researched extensively for its association with human exercise endurance and performance. However, most of the aforementioned studies focus on marathons, swimming and triatholons, while the ACE polymorphism in ultra-marathon runners have not yet been reported. We directly tested the hypothesis whether the ACE polymorphism would have an impact on race scores in 100-km ultra-marathon runners. METHODS: We enrolled 24 male 100-km ultra-marathon athletes and extract their DNA samples. The ACE insertion/deletion polymorphism was determined by polymerase chain reaction and these subjects were grouped according into I/I (homogenous insertion in both strands), D/D (homogenous deletion in both strands) and I/D (heterogenous). We also recorded these athletes’ race scores, and pre- and post-race serum biological data to compare between runners with different polymorphism types. RESULTS: In our 24 subjects analyzed, 7, 14 and 3 subjects were of I/I, I/D and D/D genotypes, respectively. The relative genotype frequency was 29%, 58%, and 13% for I/I, I/D, and D/D. The D/D haplotype is associated with better performance in the 100 km ultramarathon. No correlation is found between different haplotypes and common biochemical parameters. CONCLUSIONS: We report the first study in the impact of the ACE I/D SNP rs1799752 on ultramarathon runners. Ultramarathon, defined as a marathon length of over 42.195 kilometers (26 miles and 385 yards), pose a fundamentally different physiological challenge to runners. Our study supports the role of ACE I/D SNP in endurance sports and pose significant implications for the ACE protein in human physiology.