Evidence for a Role of ACTN3 R577X Polymorphism in Football Player’s Career Progression

Daniel Barbosa Coelho; Eduardo Mendonça Pimenta; Izinara Cruz Rosse; Bruno Magalhães de Castro; Lenice Kappes Becker; Emerson Cruz de Oliveira; Maria Raquel Santos Carvalho; Emerson Silami Garcia

doi:10.1055/a-0753-4973

International Journal of Sports Medicine, Table of Contents

Int J Sports Med 2018; 39(14): 1088-1093
DOI: 10.1055/a-0753-4973

Genetics & Molecular Biology

Evidence for a Role of ACTN3 R577X Polymorphism in Football Player’s Career Progression

Daniel Barbosa Coelho

¹Federal University of Ouro Preto, Sports Center, Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, Brazil.

,

Eduardo Mendonça Pimenta

²Federal University of Minas Gerais, School of Physical Education, Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy, Physiologi Department, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.

,

Izinara Cruz Rosse

³Federal University of Minas Gerais, Institute of Biological Sciences, Department of General Biology, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.

,

Bruno Magalhães de Castro

¹Federal University of Ouro Preto, Sports Center, Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, Brazil.

,

Lenice Kappes Becker

¹Federal University of Ouro Preto, Sports Center, Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, Brazil.

,

Emerson Cruz de Oliveira

¹Federal University of Ouro Preto, Sports Center, Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, Brazil.

,

Maria Raquel Santos Carvalho

³Federal University of Minas Gerais, Institute of Biological Sciences, Department of General Biology, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.

,

Emerson Silami Garcia

²Federal University of Minas Gerais, School of Physical Education, Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy, Physiologi Department, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.

› Author Affiliations

Abstract

The aim was to investigate a possible role of the ACTN3 R577X polymorphism in a Brazilian football player’s career progression. 2 questions were formulated: 1. Does ACTN3 polymorphism affect the probability of an individual being a professional football player? 2. Does this polymorphism affect the progression of the athlete throughout his career? The study included 353 players from first division Brazilian football clubs in the following categories: under-14 (U-14), U-15, U-17, U-20, and professional (PRO). The control group (CON) was composed of 100 healthy non-athletes. The chi-squared test was used to assess differences between the allele and genotype frequencies. Comparing football categories, the XX genotype was less frequent among professional players than in the U-20 (p<0.05) or the U-15 category (p<0.05). The RX genotype also presented more frequently in the PRO category than the U-14 category (p<0.05). Moreover, a trend towards a higher frequency of the RX genotype and a lower frequency of the XX genotype was observed in the professional category compared to U-20. These results suggest that the genotype in the ACTN3 polymorphism affects the probability of a football player progressing throughout his career and becoming professional, meaning that playing football selects against the ACTN3 XX genotype.

Key words

football - alpha-actinin-3 - genotypic distribution - allele distribution

Full Text

References

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