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SNP A79G in the second exon of the myoglobin gene in elite long distance runners
  1. J Wu,
  2. Y Hu,
  3. G Liu,
  4. D Q Zhou
  1. Section of Exercise Biochemistry, Department of Sport and Human Sciences, Beijing Sport University, Beijing, China
  1. Correspondence to:
 Professor Hu
 Section of Exercise Biochemistry, Department of Sport and Human Sciences, Beijing Sport University, Beijing 100084, China; huyangbsu.edu.cn

https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsm.2004.017145

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    Myoglobin contains 153 amino acid residues in a compactly folded polypeptide chain and a haem.1 This small protein facilitates oxygen transport in skeletal and cardiac muscle. Myoglobin plays a crucial role in energy metabolism by carrying molecular oxygen between the capillaries and the mitochondria to satisfy the requirement for sustained work.2

    The human myoglobin gene has been mapped to chromosome 22q11.2–q13, with three exons and two introns in 10.5 kb pairs. Previous studies found a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP A79G) in the second exon of the myoglobin gene,3,4 with a tendency towards a higher frequency of the 79A allele in high altitude Tibetans than in sea level residents.5 Whether the genotypes of this gene are associated with aerobic capacity remains an interesting question. We compared the SNP A79G in elite long distance runners and normal people, all members of the Han population of China.

    Materials and methods

    Subjects

    The Han people constitute the majority (93.3%) of China’s 1.3 billion inhabitants, and generally reside in the northern plains. Elite long distance runners mainly come from northern China, particularly northeast China. All the subjects selected for this study came from the Han population of northern China.

    DNA samples were obtained from two groups, controls and athletes. There were 312 normal, unrelated, and healthy but sedentary subjects in the control group (224 men and 88 women). Their …

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    Footnotes

    • Competing interests: none declared