Genotype Distribution of the ACTN3 p.R577X Polymorphism in Elite Badminton Players: A Preliminary Study.
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2023
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Abstract
Abstract: α-actinin-3 is a protein with a structural role at the sarcomeric Z-line in skeletal muscle. As
it is only present in fast-type muscle fibers, α-actinin-3 is considered a key mechanical component to
produce high-intensity muscle contractions and to withstand external tension applied to the skeletal
muscle. α-actinin-3 is encoded by the gene ACTN3, which has a single-nucleotide polymorphism
(p.R577X; rs1815739) that affects the expression of α-actinin-33 due to the presence of a stop codon. Individuals
homozygous for the 577R allele (i.e., RR genotype) and RX heterozygotes express functional
-actinin-3, while those homozygous for the 577X (i.e., XX genotype) express a non-functional protein.
There is ample evidence to support the associations between the ACTN3 genotype and athletic
performance, with higher frequencies of the 577R allele in elite and professional sprint and power
athletes than in control populations. This suggests a beneficial influence of possessing functional
-actinin-3 to become an elite athlete in power-based disciplines. However, no previous investigation
has determined the frequency of the ACTN3 genotypes in elite badminton players, despite this sport
being characterized by high-intensity actions of intermittent nature such as changes of direction,
accelerations, jumps and smashes. The purpose of this study was to analyze ACTN3 R577X genotype
frequencies in professional badminton players to establish whether this polymorphism is associated
with elite athlete status. A total of 53 European Caucasian professional badminton players competing
in the 2018 European Badminton Championships volunteered to participate in the study. Thirty-one
were men (26.2 4.4 years) and twenty-two were women (23.4 4.5 years). Chi-squared tests were
used to analyze the differences in the distribution of ACTN3 genotypes (RR, RX and XX) between
categories and sexes. The ACTN3 RR genotype was the most frequent in the sample of professional
badminton players (RR = 49.1%, RX = 22.6% and XX = 28.3%). None of the badminton players
ranked in the world’s top ten possessed the XX genotype (RX = 60%, RR = 40%). The distribution of
the ACTN3 genotypes was similar between male and female professional badminton players (men:
RR = 45.2%, RX = 25.8% and XX = 29.0%; women: RR = 54.5%, RX = 18.2% and XX = 27.3%; 2 = 0.58;
p = 0.750). The distribution of the ACTN3 genotypes in badminton players was different from the
1000 genome database for the European population ( 2 = 15.5; p < 0.001), with an overrepresentation
of the RR genotype (p < 0.05) and an underrepresentation of the RX genotype (p < 0.01). In conclusion,
the expression of functional -actinin-3, associated with RR and RX genotypes in the ACTN3 gene
may confer an advantage for reaching the status of elite athlete in badminton, and especially the
world’s top-ten ranking. Large-scale studies with different ethnic backgrounds are needed to confirm
the association of the R allele of ACTN3 with badminton performance.
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Keywords
Elite athlete status, Racquet sports, α-actinin-3, Genetics, Athletic performance, Professional athlete, Genes