RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 The I allele of the ACE gene is associated with improved exercise capacity in women with McArdle disease JF British Journal of Sports Medicine JO Br J Sports Med FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and British Association of Sport and Exercise Medicine SP 134 OP 140 DO 10.1136/bjsm.2007.038992 VO 42 IS 2 A1 F Gómez-Gallego A1 C Santiago A1 M Morán A1 M Pérez A1 J L Maté-Muñoz A1 M Fernández del Valle A1 J C Rubio A1 I Garcia-Consuegra A1 C Foster A1 I A L Andreu A1 M A Martín A1 J Arenas A1 A Lucia YR 2008 UL http://bjsm.bmj.com/content/42/2/134.abstract AB Background: McArdle disease is an uncommon metabolic disorder usually characterized by marked exercise intolerance although great individual variability exists in its phenotypic manifestation.Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the association between angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) genotypes and indices of exercise capacity (peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak), ventilatory threshold (VT) and gross mechanical efficiency (GE)) in patients with McArdle disease. Based on previous research, it was hypothesized that the I allele might favourably influence exercise capacity.Methods: Forty-four Spanish patients (23 males, 21 females) and 44 age-matched and gender-matched controls (23 males, 21 females) performed a graded cycle-ergometer test until exhaustion (for VO2peak and VT determination) and a 12 min constant-load test at the power output eliciting the VT (for GE determination).Results: No significant difference (p>0.05) was found in indices of exercise capacity between ID + II genotypes and DD homozygotes in the group of male patients, male controls and female controls. However, in the group of female patients, the ID + II group (n = 11) had a higher VO2peak than DD homozygotes (n = 10) (15.8 (SEM 1.6) ml/kg/min versus 11.9 (SEM 0.9) ml/kg/min, respectively; p<0.05).Conclusions: The I allele of the ACE gene is associated with a higher functional capacity in female patients, and might partly explain the individual variability in the phenotypic manifestation of McArdle disease.