Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Observational Study
. 2024 Jul 8;15(7):896.
doi: 10.3390/genes15070896.

Influence of ACTN3 R577X Polymorphism on Blood Creatine Kinase Levels Relative to Number of Sprints in Brazilian Professional Soccer Players

Kathleen Y de Almeida  1 , Hirofumi Zempo  2 , Mika Saito  1 , Tiago Cetolin  3 , Rodrigo Dos Santos Guimarães  4 , Andrea Rita Marrero  5 , Aderbal S Aguiar Jr  3 , Naoki Kikuchi  1
Affiliations
Observational Study

Influence of ACTN3 R577X Polymorphism on Blood Creatine Kinase Levels Relative to Number of Sprints in Brazilian Professional Soccer Players

Kathleen Y de Almeida et al. Genes (Basel). .

Abstract

This study sought to assess how post-game creatine kinase (CK) levels correlate with the number of sprints and the impact of the ACTN3 polymorphism on this response. This research constituted a descriptive/observational, retrospective cross-sectional study. DNA was extracted from blood samples for ACTN3 polymorphism genotyping. CK was measured 48 h after official matches, and the number of sprints (>19 km/h) was tracked using Global Positioning System (GPS) technology. The main cohort included 23 professional soccer players from the top tier of the Brazilian Championship. We analyzed 115 GPS + CK data sets. The replication cohort comprised 18 professional soccer players from the First Division of the Championship, had the same methodology applied, and featured a total of 90 GPS (sprints > 25.2 km/h) + CK data sets. For the main cohort, a significant positive correlation was seen between the number of sprints and the CK levels (p = 0.009). Athletes with the ACTN3 RR genotype had higher CK levels as more sprints were performed during the match (p = 0.017). However, the relationship was not found for X allele carriers (p > 0.05). For the replication cohort, there was a near-significant correlation between CK levels and the number of sprints (p = 0.05), and RR individuals showed a significant association (p = 0.01), whereas X allele carriers did not (p = 0.06). A greater number of sprints during matches is linked to higher CK levels, primarily among players with the ACTN3 RR genotype, which is potentially due to an increased presence of type II muscle fibers. These findings were replicated for both cohorts of elite Brazilian soccer players, emphasizing the importance of genetic factors in injury prevention.

Keywords: GPS; alpha-actin; creatine kinase; creatine phosphokinase; football injury; microinjury; muscle injury; muscle trauma.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors affirm that they have no competing interests.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
CK levels and number of sprints (>19 km/h) for all athletes in the main cohort.
Figure 2
Figure 2
CK levels and number of sprints for RR and X athletes in the main cohort.
Figure 3
Figure 3
CK levels and number of sprints (>25.2 km/h) for all athletes in the replication cohort.
Figure 4
Figure 4
CK levels and number of sprints for RR and X athletes in the replication cohort.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

References

    1. Barnes C., Archer D.T., Hogg B., Bush M., Bradley P.S. The evolution of physical and technical performance parameters in the English Premier League. Int. J. Sports Med. 2014;35:1095–1100. doi: 10.1055/s-0034-1375695. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Anderson L., Close G.L., Morgans R., Hambly C., Speakman J.R., Drust B., Morton J.P. Assessment of Energy Expenditure of a Professional Goalkeeper from the English Premier League Using the Doubly Labeled Water Method. Int. J. Sports Physiol. Perform. 2019;14:681–684. doi: 10.1123/ijspp.2018-0520. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Jennings D., Cormack S., Coutts A.J., Boyd L., Aughey R.J. The validity and reliability of GPS units for measuring distance in team sport specific running patterns. Int. J. Sports Physiol. Perform. 2010;5:328–341. doi: 10.1123/ijspp.5.3.328. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Freire L.A., Brito M.A., Esteves N.S., Tannure M., Slimani M., Znazen H., Bragazzi N.L., Brito C.J., Soto D.A., Gonçalves D., et al. Running Performance of High-Level Soccer Player Positions Induces Significant Muscle Damage and Fatigue Up to 24 h Postgame. Front. Psychol. 2021;12:708725. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.708725. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Modric T., Versic S., Sekulic D., Liposek S. Analysis of the Association between Running Performance and Game Performance Indicators in Professional Soccer Players. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public. Health. 2019;16:4032. doi: 10.3390/ijerph16204032. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources