Genetic modification that regulates iron metabolism could contribute to athletes’ endurance performance, researchers at the University of Toronto have shown.
The findings could help explain studies that show a link between genetic difference and elite athletes across many sports, and could help competitive athletes train their iron to increase performance.
The variant, found in the homeostatic iron (HFE) regulator gene, is a known cause of iron overweight, a condition known as hemochromatosis in which the body absorbs excess iron following to organ and joint damage.
Athletes at risk for hemochromatosis may have competitive energy but with iron sources below potentially toxic levels, but most athletes are unsure whether there is an increase the iron from bodybuilding or diet tends to be beneficial or harmful.
An increase in iron may not be suitable for athletes who already have the high-risk genotype, but athletes with the low-risk genotypes may benefit from increasing their iron stores. Genetic testing and management by healthcare professionals to monitor iron quality can be an effective way for athletes to maximize endurance performance. “
Ahmed El-Sohemy, Professor of Nutritional Sciences, Temerty Faculty of Medicine U of T.
The results were published online in Medicine & Science in Sport & Exercise recently and will appear in the July 2021 print magazine. The study is the first to look at the link between the HFE genotype and endurance performance in competitive male athletes.
El-Sohemy and his colleagues studied 100 athletes from a variety of sports, keeping track of their 10-kilometer cycling speed while measuring their aerobic capacity through a VO2 peak, amount of oxygen used during exercise.
The researchers found that those at genetic risk for too much iron performed 8 percent better than those at low risk, cycling an average of 1.3 minutes faster. They also showed that athletes with a higher risk for excess iron had a 17 percent greater oxygen carrying capacity, which may explain why they rode faster.
The higher risk group was small (11 males), but the findings are consistent with studies on iron in stability performance, which show that iron facilitates oxygen transport and that athletes with higher normal head levels can circulate more oxygen in their muscles. effectively.
Athletes with the genetic risk difference may be more likely to feel obese and more likely to recover faster after high-intensity exercise, El-Sohemy said.
Nanci Guest is a graduate fellow at U of T and a sports dietitian who made the case. She said she hopes the study raises awareness of the importance of genetics in increasing nutritional status among athletes, trainers and their coaches.
“Despite our caution in tackling low iron quality, these findings indicate that we may need to turn our attention to achieving the iron standard. best to aim for normal medium or high ends, “Guest said.
El-Sohemy and his colleagues are now looking at whether iron status is linked to other measures of athletic performance such as power and strength. They plan to investigate whether additional HFE and genes may be important, and hope to further expand the work to include women and recreational athletes.
Drishti Thakkar is a graduate student in the Faculty of Information at U of T, who analyzed test data and compiled the results as part of an undergraduate project in nutritional sciences. “I am excited to see more athletes considering genetic testing to get detailed information for more personalized nutrition and training methods,” Thakkar said. “I think this is definitely part of the future of sports nutrition.”
Ahmed El-Sohemy is the founder and chief science officer of Nutrigenomix Inc. and Nanci Guest is on the company’s scientific advisory board, which provides genetic testing for personal nutrition including HFE gene and iron metabolism.
Source:
Magazine Reference:
Thakkar, D., et al. (2020) HFE Genotype and Sustainability Performance in Competitive Male Athletes. Medicine & Science in Sport & Exercise. doi.org/10.1249/MSS.00000000000000252595.