Genetic Factors of Elite Wrestling Status: A Multi-Ethnic Comparative Study
Koichi Nakazato
Ildus I. Ahmetov
Seyrani Koncagul
Hirofumi Zempo
Mehmet A. Ergun
Andrey K. Larin
Naoki Kikuchi
Nikolay A. Kulemin
Hasan H. Kazan
Ryutaro Matsumoto
Ekaterina A. Semenova
Edward V. Generozov
Celal Bulgay
Mika Saito
Hiroki Homma
Ayumu Kozuma
Minoru Deguchi
Anıl Kasakolu
Shingo Matsumoto
Türker Bıyıklı
Giyasettin Baydaş
Takanobu Okamoto
Attila Szabo
Publication Name: Genes
Publication Date: 2025-08-01
Volume: 16
Issue: 8
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
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.
Open Access: Yes
Authors - 23
Koichi Nakazato
13003467200
Ildus I. Ahmetov
14024161200
Seyrani Koncagul
25230276500
Hirofumi Zempo
26667363900
Mehmet A. Ergun
35584987700
Andrey K. Larin
55208744100
Naoki Kikuchi
55509360200
Nikolay A. Kulemin
56230928500
Hasan H. Kazan
56884511100
Ryutaro Matsumoto
57089859500
Ekaterina A. Semenova
57192066462
Edward V. Generozov
57201982531
Celal Bulgay
57204125387
Mika Saito
57219700294
Hiroki Homma
57219703919
Ayumu Kozuma
57324449600
Minoru Deguchi
57324449700
Anıl Kasakolu
58162023900
Shingo Matsumoto
58992368700
Türker Bıyıklı
59487058300
Giyasettin Baydaş
7003893005
Takanobu Okamoto
8564584400
Attila Szabo
8719927800