title: Genetic aspects of athletic performance: the African runners phenomenon.
abstract: The current dominance of African runners in long-distance running is an intriguing phenomenon that highlights the close relationship between genetics and physical performance. Many factors in the interesting interaction between genotype and phenotype (eg, high cardiorespiratory fitness, higher hemoglobin concentration, good metabolic efficiency, muscle fiber composition, enzyme profile, diet, altitude training, and psychological aspects) have been proposed in the attempt to explain the extraordinary success of these runners. Increasing evidence shows that genetics may be a determining factor in physical and athletic performance. But, could this also be true for African long-distance runners? Based on this question, this brief review proposed the role of genetic factors (mitochondrial deoxyribonucleic acid, the Y chromosome, and the angiotensin-converting enzyme and the alpha-actinin-3 genes) in the amazing athletic performance observed in African runners, especially the Kenyans and Ethiopians, despite their environmental constraints.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Educação Física e Desportos, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rodrigo Luiz
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Vancini
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biofísica, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: João Bosco
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Pesquero
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ciência do Esporte, Faculdade de Educação Física, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, Brazil ; Confederação Brasileira de Basquetebol, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rafael Júlio
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Fachina
authors.affiliation: Centro de Educação Física e Desportos, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marília Dos Santos
authors.initials: Mdos S
authors.lastname: Andrade
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ciência do Esporte, Faculdade de Educação Física, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, Brazil.
authors.forename: João Paulo
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Borin
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ciência do Esporte, Faculdade de Educação Física, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, Brazil.
authors.forename: Paulo César
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Montagner
authors.affiliation: Setor de Fisiologia Humana e do Exercício, Faculdade de Educação Física, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, Brazil.
authors.forename: Claudio Andre Barbosa
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: de Lira
keywords: endurance runners; genes; genotype; physical exercise