Introduction
Optimal training combined with a good genetic profile is important for the best sports performance. Certain genes are consistently associated with high-class performance, and none are strongly linked enough to predict the success rate. It is undoubtedly proven that genetic factors contribute to most athletic performance. Many studies are being carried out to examine the association between genetic factors and sports performance, especially in children. Predicting the success rate of sports in children in the future is common.
What Are the Components That Determine the Performance?
The most important challenge faced while describing the effect of genetic factors on sports performance is its multifactorial nature. Physical requirements vary between each sport. Performance components are of utmost importance to carrying out a study of genetic influence in performing sports.
The cardiovascular, respiratory, muscular, skeleton and nervous systems are all included to perform physical activity efficiently. The body morphology differs between every sports person. The primary factors determining the performance of an athlete are as follows:
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Aerobic Endurance: The ability to sustain the requirement of breathing during intense running or cycling.
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Muscular Strength: It is the ability to generate force with the help of muscles.
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Cognitive Factors: They are also necessary for determining sports performance. This includes environment like nutrition, training, and also a response to training.
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Injury Susceptibility: As it is common to get injured in sports, the individual must be susceptible to injuries with good immunity to heal.
What Is the Heredity of Sub-Traits?
The importance of genetic factors to a trait can be estimated using heritability of that trait.
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Regardless of the sport, the heritability of the physical status of an athlete is 66 percent.
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Height is another sub-trait that plays a major role in the success of some sports and is 80 percent heritable.
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The type of the body is also a trait that is highly heritable, as it is associated with the endurance and power of the athlete.
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Aerobic endurance was also found to be heritable at about 50 percent.
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Muscular strength and power can be heritable from 30 to 83 percent depending on the muscle and its contraction.
What Are the Genes Responsible for Key Performance?
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ACE I/D (Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Insertion or Deletion) Gene: It is the first genetic factor that is associated with the performance of an individual in sports. The ACE gene controls blood pressure by body fluid regulation. I represent lower serum and tissue ACE activity, whereas D is associated with tissue ACE activity. The genotype ACE I/I is responsible for endurance and increasing exercise efficiency, while the D/D genotype is associated with power and strength.
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ACTN 3 R577X Gene: Alpha actinin 3 protein is found in type 2 muscle fibers which are used in explosive activities. It was less likely for the best athletes with the power to have the XX genotype and more likely for endurance athletes to have the same genotype. It was noted that the performance was up to the mark in R carrier athletes. As the additive positive effects of the genes due to its presence were evaluated, a deteriorating effect due to the absence of the gene was also noted. In an athlete's deficiency of alpha actin 3, muscle power declined. The association of the gene in elite sports person was studied, but the association of the same with normal individuals did not give the best results.
What Is the Risk of Injury?
The ability to recover or the resistance to an injury is another factor that is responsible for better performance in sports. Two main types of injuries were examined to study the genetic risk.
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Concussion: Mild traumatic brain injury or concussion has been linked to the gene APOE. This gene has three isoforms (similar forms) and is associated with Alzheimer's disease. Due to this association, evaluation of the risk for concussion and traumatic brain injury has begun. Studies confirm that this genotype was not associated with bad outcomes after a traumatic brain injury. A variant of the gene has been associated with the concussion risk, which is three times higher.
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Tendinopathy: The structural component of tendons and ligaments is collagen. There is an increased risk for tendinopathy due to the linkage between the gene involved in one repair of connective tissue, the extracellular matrix protein, and the TNC gene. The injury risk is increased due to the role played by multiple risk alleles. Considerable validation is required to provide evidence for the association of genetics with sports performance.
What Is the Influence of Genetics on Young Sportsmen?
Studies were carried out to examine the association between sports performance and gene variations in children or adolescent sports persons. Compared to males, the ACE II polymorphism was reported in female adolescents, which is associated with great strength in hand grip. These results are in contrast with the D allele showing better power and strength in adults.
What Is Genetic Testing in Sports?
Selecting an individual with a promised future in sports can help in providing proper training to that individual upon proper identification. Physiological and physical characteristics, along with sports performance, help in talent identification. Genetic testing has also been added to the list. Genes are constant throughout life, and genetic testing can be performed to provide a way to predict performance traits in the future in untrained children.
Many genetic tests are marketed in several companies to predict the performance of an individual through a single test. Genetic test for AC TN3 is being marketed without a prescription to identify the sporting potential in children. The individual's endurance power and other genetic advantages are interpreted based on a single genetic test.
Conclusion
A favorable profile of genes, when added with proper training, is beneficial, if not compulsory, for achieving great athlete status. Although a few genes have been associated with highly improved sports performance, they are not enough to predict success. The use of genetic testing in the selection of sports talent is considered premature. The status of an athlete as well as endurance and muscular power, are heritable, which supports the role of genetics in achieving success. It should also be noted that no genetic variant has reached a level to predict the success of a sportsperson.
