Genetic variants and flexibility in relation to non-contact injury risk among young basketball players

This study aimed to compare the injury status of juvenile basketball players based on their genetic variants and flexibility capacities. Conducted between October 2019 and February 2020, the cross-sectional study included 17 U-15 professional male basketball players from the same team, who participated voluntarily. Genotypes of GDF-5 rs143383 and IL-6R rs2228145 SNPs were identified. Flexibility was measured (sit and reach) at two time points (BS, MS). Non-contact injuries recorded by team physicians were compared among genotypes. Due to the limited sample size, findings should be considered exploratory. The GDF-5 TT genotype showed a significantly higher injury incidence compared to CC (p=.011). IL-6R AC carriers showed higher flexibility values but without statistically significant differences in injury frequency (p>.05). These preliminary findings suggest GDF-5 TT may confer elevated injury risk. Given the limited statistical power, further research with larger cohorts is necessary.