Genetics and Sport Injuries: New Perspectives for Athletic Excellence in an Italian Court of Rugby Union Players

Abstract

Several genes are involved in sport performance, especially in injuries incidence. The aim of this study was to investigate the association of ACE, ACTN3, COL1A1, and MCT1 genotypes and injuries in rugby players in order to find a genotype/phenotype correlation and provide useful information improving athletic performance. One-hundred male professional and semiprofessional rugby players were selected. Analysis was performed genotyping the genes ACE, ACTN3, COL1A1, and MCT1 as candidate gene of interest involved in athletic performance. A control group of non-athletic Italian male participants was analyzed to compare the results. We found statistical significance of MCT1 rs1049434 AA for total injuries (χ2 = 0.115; p = 0.003) and bone injuries (χ2 = 0.603; p = 0.007) in the rugby athlete population. No statistical significance was found between injury incidence and ACE, ACTN3, COL1A1 genotypes. The MCT1 AA genotype is associated with the incidence of total and bone injuries in the rugby player population. Although environmental factors such as lifestyle, diet, training, and stress can influence athletic performance, our data demonstrated the importance of genetic study in sport aimed at developing personalized training and achieving the best possible athletic excellence.

The comparison of the genetic profile of ACTN3 single-nucleotide polymorphism in elite weightlifters and non-athletes

“…Although environmental factors such as lifestyle, diet, training, and stress can influence athletic performance, our data demonstrated the importance of genetic study in sports aimed at developing personalized training and achieving the best possible athletic excellence (25). Considering that in the present study, the frequency of the RR genotype in elite weightlifters was higher than in the control group, and that of the XX genotype in elite weightlifters was lower than in the control group, people with the RR genotype in strength and power sports such as weightlifting would be more successful.…”

Genes Associated with Muscle, Tendon and Ligament Injury Epidemiology in Women’s Amateur Football Players

“…Some of the genes associated with the increased risk of muscle, tendon and ligament injuries include those related to the composition of collagen and elastin, which are key structural proteins in these tissues, and genetic variants that affect the production or quality of collagen may increase vulnerability to tendon and ligament injuries, specially the COL5A1 gene [22]. There are some important reasons to consider, like genetic variability, tissue structure and composition, tissue functional properties, inflammatory responses and tissue repair and hereditary risk factors [21,23].…”