Genetic variation and exercise-induced muscle damage: implications for athletic performance, injury and ageing.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Narrative review without systematic review methodology or meta-analysis
PubMed 27294501 · doi:10.1007/s00421-016-3411-1
What was done
The authors conducted a narrative literature review to analyze published evidence on candidate gene polymorphisms associated with exercise-induced muscle damage and recovery in young and older individuals, and to describe the potential physiological mechanisms underpinning these associations.
What was found
The abstract reports no numerical data, pooled effect sizes, or statistical metrics. It identifies several specific gene polymorphisms linked to variability in muscle damage and recovery duration following strenuous exercise: ACTN3 (R577X, rs1815739), TNF (-308 G>A, rs1800629), IL6 (-174 G>C, rs1800795), and IGF2 (ApaI, 17200 G>A, rs680).
Why it matters
Understanding genetic contributors to muscle damage susceptibility could eventually help coaches and clinicians personalize exercise prescriptions and recovery strategies to reduce injury risk.
Limits
As a narrative review, it lacks a systematic search methodology, quality appraisal, and meta-analytic synthesis. The abstract notes that this research area is in its infancy, and candidate gene associations frequently face issues of small study samples, lack of replication, and unquantified clinical utility.
Cited by
- supports Scientific research shows genetic variability in muscle damage susceptibility and recovery rates across individuals.