Genetic score of power-speed and endurance track and field athletes

Athletic excelling capability in a specific sport results from the combined influence of hundreds of genetic polymorphisms. The aim of the current study was to characterize athletes' polygenetic scores. We developed two polygenetic scores: (a) Power Genetic Distance Score based on two polymorphisms (PGDS2; ACE_I/D, ACTN3_C/T) or five polymorphisms (PGDS5; ACTN3_C/T, ACE_I/D, IL6_-174G/C, NOS3_T/C, AGT_MET235THR); and (b) Endurance Genetic Distance Score based on two polymorphisms (EGDS2; ACE_I/D, ACTN3_C/T) or five polymorphisms (EGDS5; PPARGC1A_Gly482Ser, PPARA_intron7G/C, PPARD_T294C, NRF2_A/C, HIF_C/T). Eighty-two power-speed athletes, 87 endurance athletes, and 119 nonathletic controls participated in the study. Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood. Power-speed athletes' mean PGDS2 (46.1) and PGDS5 (29.4) were significantly higher compared with their mean EGDS2 (36.4) and EGDS5 (23.1; P<0.05, P<0.01, respectively); and compared with controls' mean PGDS2 (36.6) and PGDS5 (24.2; P<0.05, P<0.05, respectively). Endurance athletes' mean EGDS2 (60.3) and EGDS5 (35.3) were significantly higher compared with their mean PGDS2 (26.9) and PGDS5 (21.8; P<0.001, P<0.001, respectively); and compared with controls' mean EGDS2 (51.2) and EGDS5 (26.1; P<0.05, P<0.001, respectively). We conclude that polygenetic scores can differentiate power-speed from endurance athletes. Whether these scores may be used to identify elite power-speed or endurance athletes' needs to be addressed in future studies.