Gene Polymorphisms and Fiber-Type Composition of Human Skeletal Muscle
in International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise MetabolismClick name to view affiliation
Search for other papers by Ildus I. Ahmetov in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Olga L. Vinogradova in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Alun G. Williams in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
The ability to perform aerobic or anaerobic exercise varies widely among individuals, partially depending on their muscle-fiber composition. Variability in the proportion of skeletal-muscle fiber types may also explain marked differences in aspects of certain chronic disease states including obesity, insulin resistance, and hypertension. In untrained individuals, the proportion of slow-twitch (Type I) fibers in the vastus lateralis muscle is typically around 50% (range 5–90%), and it is unusual for them to undergo conversion to fast-twitch fibers. It has been suggested that the genetic component for the observed variability in the proportion of Type I fibers in human muscles is on the order of 40–50%, indicating that muscle fiber-type composition is determined by both genotype and environment. This article briefly reviews current progress in the understanding of genetic determinism of fiber-type proportion in human skeletal muscle. Several polymorphisms of genes involved in the calcineurin–NFAT pathway, mitochondrial biogenesis, glucose and lipid metabolism, cytoskeletal function, hypoxia and angiogenesis, and circulatory homeostasis have been associated with fiber-type composition. As muscle is a major contributor to metabolism and physical strength and can readily adapt, it is not surprising that many of these gene variants have been associated with physical performance and athlete status, as well as metabolic and cardiovascular diseases. Genetic variants associated with fiber-type proportions have important implications for our understanding of muscle function in both health and disease.
Ahmetov is with the Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, Kazan State Medical University, Kazan, Russia. Vinogradova is with the Laboratory of Exercise Physiology, SSC RF Institute for Biomedical Problems of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia. Williams is with the Inst. for Performance Research, Manchester Metropolitan University, Crewe, UK.
© 2023 Human Kinetics