Association of Genetic Variances in ADRB1 and PPARGC1a with Two-Kilometre Running Time-Trial Performance in Australian Football League Players: A Preliminary Study.

Genetic variants in the angiotensin-converting enzyme ( ACE ) (rs4343), alpha-actinin-3 ( ACTN3 ) (rs1815739), adrenoceptor-beta-1 ( ADRB1 ) (rs1801253), and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1-alpha ( PPARGC1A ) (rs8192678) genes have previously been associated with elite athletic performance. This study assessed the influence of polymorphisms in these candidate genes towards endurance test performance in 46 players from a single Australian Football League (AFL) team. Each player provided saliva buccal swab samples for DNA analysis and genotyping and were required to perform two independent two-kilometre running time-trials, six weeks apart. Linear mixed models were created to account for repeated measures over time and to determine whether player genotypes are associated with overall performance in the two-kilometre time-trial. The results showed that the ADRB1 Arg389Gly CC ( p = 0.034) and PPARGC1A Gly482Ser GG ( p = 0.031) genotypes were significantly associated with a faster two-kilometre time-trial. This is the first study to link genetic polymorphism to an assessment of endurance performance in Australian Football and provides justification for further exploratory or confirmatory studies.