Abstract
BackgroundThere are large individual differences in physical activity (PA) behavior as well as trainability of physical capacity. Heritability studies have shown that genes may have as much impact on exercise participation behavior as environmental factors. Genes that favor both trainability and participation may increase the levels of PA. The present study aimed to assess the allele frequencies in genes associated with PA and/or physical capacity, and to see if there is any association between these polymorphisms and self-reported PA levels in a cohort of middle-aged Norwegians of Scandinavian descent (n = 831; mean age mean age (± SD) 55.5 ± 3.8 years).ResultsThe genotype distributions of the ACTN3 R577X, ACE I/D and MAOA uVNTR polymorphisms were similar to other populations of European descent. When comparing the genotype distribution between the low/medium level PA group (LMPA) and high level PA groups (HPA), a significant difference in ACTN3 577X allele distribution was found. The X allele frequency was 10% lower in the HPA level group (P = 0.006). There were no differences in the genotype distribution of the ACE I/D or MAOA uVNTR polymorphism. Education and previous participation in sports or outdoor activities was positively associated with the self-reported PA levels (P ≤ 0.001).ConclusionsTo the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to report association between ACTN3 R577X genotype and PA level in middle-aged Scandinavians. Nevertheless, the contribution of a single polymorphism to a complex trait, like PA level, is likely small. Socioeconomic variables, as education and previous participation in sports or outdoor activities, are positively associated with the self-reported PA levels.
Highlights
There are large individual differences in physical activity (PA) behavior as well as trainability of physical capacity
Allele frequencies for the ACTN3 R577X and the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) I/ D polymorphisms has been reported to be highly variable between different ethnic groups, and the X allele has previously been reported to be much more common in Japanese (55%) [51] than it is in Kenyans (9%) [52]
The present study demonstrates a novel finding that the X allele of the ACTN3 gene is underrepresented among participants reporting high PA levels
Summary
There are large individual differences in physical activity (PA) behavior as well as trainability of physical capacity. Heritability studies have shown that genes may have as much impact on exercise participation behavior as environmental factors. Genes that favor both trainability and participation may increase the levels of PA. Physical activity (PA) is a complex behavior [1], influenced by both genetic and environmental variables [2,3,4]. Physical inactivity is a modifiable risk factor meaning that increased PA may have a positive effect on several diseases, e.g. diabetes and. Genes that favor both trainability and participation may increase the levels of PA [4, 14]. PA level is affected by the interaction of many genes, most of them with only a small effect each [13]
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