The ability of skeletal muscles to produce force at a high velocity is crucial for success in power and sprint performance. This is strongly influenced by genetics and without the appropriate genetic make-up, an individual reduces his/her chances of becoming an exceptional power or sprinter athlete. Several genetic variants have been associated with elite power and sprint performance1. Athletic performance is also influenced by multifactorial events: environmental, gene gene, and gene environmental interaction.
The C34T genetic polymorphism (rs17602729) in the AMPD1 gene, which is a common polymorphism among Caucasians, has the potential to impair exercise capacity. This gene which encodes the skeletal muscle-specific isoform of adenosine monophosphate deaminase (AMPD1) might help athletes to attain elite status in sprint/power-oriented sports.
Other performance-enhancing polymorphisms (PEPs) include genes involved in the renin-angiotensin system (RAS), specifically ACE and AGT. The RAS helps regulate body fluid level, blood pressure, respiratory drive, red blood cell supply, tissue oxygenation and skeletal muscle efficiency. Genetic studies found that the I allele (or Insertion allele form) is found in higher frequency in elite endurance athletes.5 Studies of the AGT gene, showed that the frequency of the CC genotype in the power athletes was 3.1 times higher than in endurance athletes. 3