Key result
Mitochondrial DNA variants link to nonathlete aerobic performance but associations with elite athletes remain controversial.
Why the study?
There is uncertainty about the association between mitochondrial DNA haplogroups and elite endurance athletic status across different ethnic backgrounds.
Are mitochondrial DNA variants and haplogroups associated with elite endurance athletic performance?
Are mitochondrial DNA variants and haplogroups associated with elite endurance athletic performance?
The role of mitochondrial DNA variants in determining elite endurance athletic performance remains controversial and appears to be influenced by ethnic background.
Ethnic diversity confounds mtDNA-endurance associations; leaves open whether haplogroups predict performance and requires matched prospective studies.
Aerobic ATP generation by the mitochondrial respiratory oxidative phosphorylation system (OXPHOS) is a vital metabolic process for endurance exercise. Notably, mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) codifies 13 of the 83 polypeptides implied in the respiratory chain. As such, there is a strong rationale for identifying an association between mtDNA variants and "aerobic" (endurance) exercise phenotypes. The aim of this review is to summarize current knowledge on the association between mtDNA, nuclear genes involved in mitochondriogenesis, and elite endurance athletic status. Several studies in nonathletic people have demonstrated an association between certain mtDNA lineages and aerobic performance, characterized by maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max). Whether mtDNA haplogroups are also associated with the status of being an elite endurance athlete is more controversial, with differences between studies arising from the different ethnic backgrounds of the athletic cohorts (Caucasian of mixed geographic origin, Asiatic, or East African).
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Eynon et al. (2011) conducted a review in Elite endurance athletic status. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) variants was evaluated on Aerobic performance (VO2max) and elite endurance athletic status. Mitochondrial DNA variants are associated with aerobic performance in nonathletic individuals, but their association with elite endurance athlete status remains controversial across different ethnicities.
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