EPAS1 gene variants are associated with sprint/power athletic performance in two cohorts of European athletes

摘要

BackgroundThe endothelial PAS domain protein 1 (EPAS1) activates genes that are involved in erythropoiesis and angiogenesis, thus favoring a better delivery of oxygen to the tissues and is a plausible candidate to influence athletic performance. Using innovative statistical methods we compared genotype distributions and interactions of EPAS1 SNPs rs1867785, rs11689011, rs895436, rs4035887 and rs1867782 between sprint/power athletes (n = 338), endurance athletes (n = 254), and controls (603) in Polish and Russian samples. We also examined the association between these SNPs and the athletes’ competition level (‘elite’ and ‘sub-elite’ level). Genotyping was performed by either Real-Time PCR or by Single-Base Extension (SBE) method.