Key result
The Gly/Gly genotype of the PPARGC1A Gly482Ser polymorphism was associated with an increased likelihood of achieving elite endurance (OR 1.19) and power (OR 1.30) athlete status in Caucasians.
Why the study?
Evidence on the association between the PPARGC1A Gly482Ser polymorphism and elite athlete status is inconsistent, and prior meta-analysis methods may have biased results.
Does the PPARGC1A Gly482Ser (rs8192678) polymorphism increase the likelihood of elite endurance and power athlete status in athletes compared to non-athlete controls?
Meta-Analysis (n=14,843)
Does the PPARGC1A Gly482Ser (rs8192678) polymorphism increase the likelihood of elite endurance and power athlete status in athletes compared to non-athlete controls?
Odds Ratio: 1.19 (95% CI 1.08–1.31)
p-value: p=<0.001
The Gly/Gly genotype of the PPARGC1A Gly482Ser polymorphism is associated with an increased likelihood of achieving elite athlete status in Caucasians, suggesting its potential as a genetic marker for athletic talent identification.
Should not yet guide talent identification; extends candidate-gene evidence in Caucasian athletes.
Background Evidence on the association between the PPARGC1A Gly482Ser (rs8192678) polymorphism and elite athlete status is inconsistent, and a prior meta-analysis has used a genotype-merging approach that may bias results. Objective This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to clarify the association between the PPARGC1A Gly482Ser (rs8192678) polymorphism and elite endurance and power athlete status. Methods A comprehensive literature search was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Cochrane Library from inception to November 2025. Studies were included if they provided genotype frequency data for the PPARGC1A Gly482Ser polymorphism in elite endurance or power athletes and non-athlete controls. Fixed or random-effects models were used to calculate odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI), and heterogeneity was assessed using the I 2 statistic. Results 21 studies involving 5,795 athletes and 9,048 non-athlete controls were included. Compared with non-athlete controls, a higher frequency of the Gly/Gly genotype was observed in Caucasian endurance athletes (OR 1.19; 95% CI 1.08–1.31; p < 0.001) and Caucasian power athletes (OR 1.30; 95% CI 1.17–1.44; p < 0.001). In Asians, no significant difference in the frequency of the Gly/Gly genotype was observed between endurance athletes and controls (OR 0.92; 95% CI 0.71–1.19; p = 0.523), whereas a lower frequency was observed in Asian power athletes (OR 0.69; 95% CI 0.53–0.90; p = 0.007). Conclusion Our findings demonstrate that the Gly/Gly genotype of the PPARGC1A Gly482Ser polymorphism was associated with an increased likelihood of achieving elite athlete status in Caucasians, suggesting its potential as a genetic marker for athletic talent identification in this population. In Asians, no significant association was observed between the PPARGC1A Gly482Ser polymorphism and elite endurance athlete status, whereas the Gly/Gly genotype is associated with a lower likelihood of achieving elite power athlete status. Systematic Review registration identifier CRD420251148245.
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Su et al. (2026) conducted a meta-analysis in Elite endurance and power athlete status (n=14,843). PPARGC1A Gly482Ser (rs8192678) polymorphism (Gly/Gly genotype) vs. Non-athlete controls was evaluated on Elite endurance athlete status in Caucasians (Gly/Gly genotype vs controls) (OR 1.19, 95% CI 1.08-1.31, p=<0.001). The Gly/Gly genotype of the PPARGC1A Gly482Ser polymorphism was associated with an increased likelihood of achieving elite endurance (OR 1.19) and power (OR 1.30) athlete status in Caucasians.
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