Background: In recent years, comprehensive analyses using a genome-wide association study (GWAS) have been conducted to identify genetic factors related to athletic performance. In this study, we investigated the association between genetic variants and elite wrestling status across multiple ethnic groups using a genome-wide genotyping approach. Methods: This study included 168 elite wrestlers (64 Japanese, 67 Turkish, and 36 Russian), all of whom had competed in international tournaments, including the Olympic Games. Control groups consisted of 306 Japanese, 137 Turkish, and 173 Russian individuals without elite athletic backgrounds. We performed a GWAS comparing allele frequencies of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) between elite wrestlers and controls in each ethnic cohort. Cross-population analysis comprised (1) identifying SNPs with nominal significance (p < 0.05) in all three groups, then (2) meta-analyzing overlapped SNPs to assess effect consistency and combined significance. Finally, we investigated whether the most significant SNPs were associated with gene expression in skeletal muscle in 23 physically active men. Results: The GWAS identified 328,388 (Japanese), 23,932 (Turkish), and 30,385 (Russian) SNPs reaching nominal significance. Meta-analysis revealed that the ATP2A3 rs6502758 and UNC5C rs265061 polymorphisms were associated (p < 0.0001) with elite wrestling status across all three populations. Both variants are located in intronic regions and influence the expression of their respective genes in skeletal muscle. Conclusions: This is the first study to investigate gene polymorphisms associated with elite wrestling status in a multi-ethnic cohort. ATP2A3 rs6502758 and UNC5C rs265061 polymorphisms may represent important genetic factors associated with achieving an elite status in wrestling, irrespective of ethnicity.

Background: Exercise addiction, marked by an inability to control exercise and associated with distress that clinically impairs daily activities, is a significant but underrecognized issue in physical activity and health. While its physiological, psychological, and behavioral aspects have been studied, the genetic basis of exercise addiction remains poorly understood, requiring further investigation. The present study conducted a genome-wide association study of exercise addiction among elite Turkish wrestlers. Methods: The sample comprised 67 male wrestlers (34 freestyle wrestlers and 33 Greco-Roman wrestlers). Exercise addiction was assessed using the Exercise Addiction Scale. Whole-genome genotyping was performed using DNA microarray. Results: Using a genome-wide approach (p < 1.0 × 10⁻⁵), we identified six suggestively significant single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with exercise addiction status. Of these, the high-addiction alleles of five SNPs (PRDM10 rs74345126, near PTPRU rs72652685, HADHB rs6745226, XIRP2 rs17614860, and near GAREM2 rs1025542) have previously been associated with an increased risk of mental health disorders such as anxiety and depression or higher levels of physical activity. We also examined potential associations between the genetic markers previously linked to addiction-related traits such as obsessive–compulsive disorder and cigarette smoking, and personality traits linked to negative emotions including neuroticism. Using this candidate gene approach (p < 0.05), we identified three additional SNPs associated with exercise addiction in the same direction of association (DEFB135 rs4841662, BCL11A rs7599488, and CSRNP3 rs1551336). Conclusions: The present study provides preliminary evidence for the genetic basis of exercise addiction, highlighting specific SNPs that may play a role in the development of this condition among elite wrestlers.

Background: Muscle injuries pose a significant challenge in sports, leading to decreased performance and shortened career longevity. Individuals homozygous for the nonsense X allele of the ACTN3 rs1815739 (R577X) polymorphism, characterized by a complete absence of α-actinin-3, have been associated with reduced power performance and may have an increased injury risk. This study aimed to investigate the association between the ACTN3 R577X polymorphism and both volleyball player status and the risk of non-contact musculoskeletal injuries in female volleyball players. Methods: The study included 5382 Turkish and Russian subjects of European descent (187 professional volleyball players and 5195 controls), of whom 50 female players provided injury data. Sport-related injury information was obtained from medical records maintained by team physicians and physiotherapists. Results: A pooled analysis of the two cohorts demonstrated that the frequency of the ACTN3 X allele was significantly lower in volleyball players than in controls, with an odds ratio of 0.763 (95% CI: 0.61–0.95, p = 0.02). In the pre-specified recessive contrast (XX vs. RR + RX) among 50 players, exact methods indicated higher injury odds for the XX genotype (OR = 7.87, 95% CI: 0.94–374.58; p = 0.0366), which was classified as borderline/exploratory. Penalized (Firth) regression produced estimates of a similar magnitude after adjustment for age and playing position (adjusted OR = 5.92, 95% CI: 1.12–60.98), although confidence intervals remained wide. Conclusions: The ACTN3 X allele is underrepresented in professional volleyball players, and it is associated with an increased risk of muscle injury in female players.