Does the Sports Gene Affect Lifestyle-Related Diseases?

A number of familial and twin studies have assessed the relative contribution of genetic and environmental factors to physical performance or its-related traits, and a significant genetic component has been predicted to affect phenotypes. A twin study indicated that the heritability of athletic status is 66%. Thus, genetic factors appear to be important for determining elite sporting performance. To date, over 200 genes in both nuclear DNA and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) have been reported to be associated with physical performance and health-related fitness. However, most studies have been reported in European populations. In the Asian population, only 3 genetic loci have been linked to physical performance, including angiotensin I-converting enzyme and α-actinin-3 genetic polymorphisms and mtDNA polymorphisms (mitochondrial haplogroups). In this review, we discuss the genetics of elite sporting performance, particularly in Asian populations, and their effects on lifestyle-related diseases such as type 2 diabetes and age-related muscle wasting (i.e., sarcopenia).