Key result
ACTN3 XX genotype linked to ~16 extra days of recovery from muscle injuries vs RR/RX genotypes.
Why the study?
Recent data suggest an association between the ACTN3 R577X polymorphism and musculoskeletal injury risk, but its association with non-contact muscle injury risk and recovery time in professional soccer players required analysis.
Does the ACTN3 R577X polymorphism affect the risk of and recovery time from non-contact muscle injuries in professional soccer players?
Cohort (n=46)
No
Does the ACTN3 R577X polymorphism affect the risk of and recovery time from non-contact muscle injuries in professional soccer players?
p-value: p=0.044
The ACTN3 XX genotype may be associated with longer recovery times from non-contact muscle injuries in professional soccer players.
ACTN3 XX genotype was associated with delayed return to play; hypothesis-generating and should not yet change practice.
There are recent data suggesting an association between the R577X polymorphism (rs1815739) in the gene encoding α-actinin-3 (ACTN3) and the risk of musculoskeletal injuries. The purpose of this study was to analyze the association of rs1815739 with risk of, and recovery time from non-contact soft-tissue muscle injuries in professional soccer players. Forty-six (22 male and 24 female) players from a top-level professional soccer team were assessed during five consecutive seasons: the genotype distribution was: RR, 41.3%; RX, 47.8%; and XX, 10.9%. There was a trend towards a higher risk of muscle injury associated with the XX genotype (p = 0.092, with no injury-free XX player during the 5-year study period) and a significant genotype effect for the time needed to return to play (p = 0.044, with the highest value shown for the XX genotype, i.e., 36 ± 26 days, vs. 20 ± 10 and 17 ± 12 days for RR and RX, respectively). In conclusion, the XX genotype might be associated not only with a higher risk of non-contact muscle injuries, but also of recovery time from these conditions. However, more research in larger cohorts is needed to confirm this preliminary hypothesis.
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Rodas et al. (2021) conducted a cohort in Non-contact soft-tissue muscle injuries (n=46). ACTN3 R577X polymorphism (XX genotype) vs. RR and RX genotypes was evaluated on Time needed to return to play (days) (p=0.044). The ACTN3 XX genotype was associated with significantly longer recovery time from non-contact muscle injuries compared to RR and RX genotypes (36 vs 20 and 17 days, respectively; p=0.044).
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