Work

The Impact of the ACTN3 rs1815739 Polymorphism on Physical Performance in Youth Football Players

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: This cross-sectional study examined ACTN3 rs1815739 (C/T; R577X) genotype distribution and its associations with physical performance and biological maturation in male youth football players. A total of 274 players (11–14 years, n = 166; 15–18 years, n = 108) from a professional club in North Macedonia completed Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery, linear sprint, and jump tests, including the drop jump, countermovement jump (CMJ), and squat jump (SJ). Genotype frequencies were compared with the 1000 Genomes European reference population (n = 503). ACTN3 CC (RR) genotype was more frequent in players than in the reference population (48.2% vs. 32.0%; OR = 1.97, 95% CI 1.46–2.67, p < 0.0001), as was the C (R) allele (OR = 1.34, 95% CI 1.08–1.66, p = 0.009). However, the player genotype distribution deviated from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium (p < 0.001). CMJ height increased by approximately 2.3 cm per one-year increase in maturity offset (p < 0.001). In the younger cohort, TT (XX) carriers had lower Yo-Yo distance and estimated VO2max than CC and CT (RX) carriers (p = 0.007). Exploratory whole-sample models provided limited evidence that the association between maturity offset, and vertical-jump performance (CMJ, SJ) might differ by genotype; however, these interactions were not statistically significant after correction for multiple testing. No significant genotype differences were observed for sprint performance or most other jump-related outcomes. These findings indicate that ACTN3–performance associations in youth football players are modest and outcome-specific and should be interpreted cautiously given the external reference population and deviation from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium.

Source: International Journal of Molecular Sciences

DOI: 10.3390/ijms27219429