TY - JOUR A1 - Eynon, Nir AU - Morán, María AU - Birk, Ruth AU - Lucía Mulas, Alejandro T1 - The champions' mitochondria: is it genetically determined? A review on mitochondrial DNA and elite athletic performance Y1 - 2011 SN - 15312267 UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11268/1066 AB - Aerobic ATP generation by the mitochondrial respiratory oxidative phosphorylation system (OXPHOS) is a vital metabolic process for endurance exercise. Notably, mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) codifies 13 of the 83 polypeptides implied in the respiratory chain. As such, there is a strong rationale for identifying an association between mtDNA variants and "aerobic" (endurance) exercise phenotypes. The aim of this review is to summarize current knowledge on the association between mtDNA, nuclear genes involved in mitochondriogenesis, and elite endurance athletic status. Several studies in nonathletic people have demonstrated an association between certain mtDNA lineages and aerobic performance, characterized by maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max). Whether mtDNA haplogroups are also associated with the status of being an elite endurance athlete is more controversial, with differences between studies arising from the different ethnic backgrounds of the athletic cohorts (Caucasian of mixed geographic origin, Asiatic, or East African). KW - Medicina deportiva KW - Genética humana KW - Atleta LA - eng ER -