CAG repeat polymorphism in the androgen receptor gene and the level of physical activity (HALS Study)
Józków, P.; Slowinska-Lisowska, M.; Laczmanski, L.; Medras, M.; Trzmiel, A.; Kuliczkowska-Plaksej, J.
Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness 49(4): 453-458
2009
ISSN/ISBN: 0022-4707 PMID: 20087306 Document Number: 629406
Androgens influence human behavior. They affect sport performance, physical activity and emotional responses. CAG repeat polymorphism of androgen receptor (AR) gene is associated with transcriptional activity of AR. Decreased number of CAG repeats leads to increased androgen sensitivity. The purpose of this study was to investigate associations between AR CAG polymorphism and physical activity phenotype. Within the framework of the HALS Study we randomly selected 900 adult Caucasian males from one administrative region of Poland (Lower Silesia). Eventually, AR CAG repeat was genotyped by a PCR based assay in 360 male subjects. International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) was used to determine the level of physical activity of studied subjects. It was expressed as multiples of resting metabolic rate by minutes of performance during a week (METs-minute/week). No association between AR CAG repeat polymorphism and physical activity (P=0.2, ANOVA) was observed. Men with short CAG presented the lowest level of physical activity reaching 3.44 log (METs-minute/week) (SE 0.053; 95% CI, 3.34-3.54), while in men with medium and long CAG it was respectively 3.58 (SE 0.063; 95% CI, 3.46-3.71) and 3.52 (SE 0.039; 95% CI, 3.44-3.60) log (METs-minute/week). There is no association between AR CAG repeat polymorphism and the level of physical activity in healthy men.