GENETIC DIFFERENCES, FITNESS AND PERFORMANCE

The symposium will: a) review the evidence for a role of genetic factors in fitness and performance; b) discuss strategies and technologies that can be used to investigate molecular genetic issues for complex multifactorial traits; c) identify the most important research questions to be addressed. The session will be organized around 5 presentations. The first (Bouchard) will define the key questions, the research designs that are most promising and the technologies that have the greatest chance of success in defining the molecular & genetic basis of fitness and performance. The 2nd (Perusse) will focus on candidate genes and the role that sequence variants in these genes play in these complex phenotypes in the sedentary state and in the response to regular exercise. The 3rd (Rankinen) will review the evidence from genome scans for the presence of quantitative triat loci affecting fitness and performance and their trainability. Efforts in the positional cloning of these loci will also be reviewed. The 4th (Britton) will define rodent models that can be used to investigate the genetic and molecular basis of aerobic endurance. The contributions of selective breeding designs will be emphasized. The 5th (Booth) will summarize the contributions that can be expected from gene expression studies in the context of exercise and exercise training paradigms. The role that gene expression studies play in providing new leads for candidate gene investigations will be highlighted.