Work

Association between vitamin D receptor gene polymorphisms and athletic performance in Chinese male youth soccer players

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Background The relationship between the vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene and muscle strength has been extensively investigated; however, the findings of this research remain inconclusive. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between VDR variants (ApaI rs797523 , BsmI rs1544410 , and FokI rs2228570 genotypes) and athletic performance in youth soccer players in China. Materials and Methods A total of 142 male soccer players (73 from an elite group and 69 from a sub-lite group) aged 13–15 years, and 107 controls (13- to 14-year-old students) were recruited for this study. We measured height, weight, speed, explosive power, anaerobic endurance, and aerobic endurance in both the elite and sub-elite athletes. ApaI, BsmI and FokI genotypes were detected in controls, elite, and sub-elite soccer players with the single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) technique. The χ2 test was applied to analyze the correlation between genotype distribution and allelic frequency in elite and sub-elite athletes and controls. One-way analysis of variance and Bonferroni’s post hoc test were implemented to analyze the differences in parameters among groups, and statistical significance was set at p ≤ 0.05. Results (1) The genotype distributions of the ApaI, BsmI, and FokI in controls, elite, and sub-elite soccer players were consistent with the Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium (HWE) results, except for the BsmI genotype distribution in control s (χ2 = 7.396, df = 1, p = 0.025). (2) The BsmI AG frequency in the controls and sub-elite players was significantly higher than in the elite players (χ2 = 6.4, df = 1, p = 0.011; χ2 = 4.50, df = 1, p = 0.034, respectively). The frequency of the FokI TT genotype in the controls was significantly higher than in the elite and sub-elite players (χ2 = 12.737, df = 1, p < 0.001, χ2 = 8.805, df = 1, p = 0.003, respectively). The frequency of the ApaI A in the elite players was significantly lower than that in the controls and sub-elite players (χ2 = 3.765, df = 1, p = 0.05; χ2 = 12.19, df = 1, p < 0.001 respectively). (3) ApaI CC players had longer distances in the standing long jump (SLJ) (p = 0.026) and shorter times in the 30-m run (p = 0.003) than ApaI AC players. Additionally, ApaI AA players had significantly longer Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test Level 1 (YYIR1) running distances compared to ApaI AC players (p = 0.002). Conclusion Chinese elite youth soccer players are more likely to possess the ApaI CC genotype and are less likely than sub-elite players to have the BsmI A alleles. Additionally, the ApaI CC genotype is associated with better speed and explosive power among Chinese elite youth soccer players.

Source: PeerJ

DOI: 10.7717/peerj.19696

Authors: Shidong Yang, Wei Zhang, Meng Jia, Haichun Chen

Institutions: Nanjing Xiaozhuang University, Nanjing Normal University, Fujian Normal University

Language: English

Topic: Genetics and Physical Performance

Subfield: Genetics

Field: Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

Domain: Life Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $1,395