FAAH rs324420 Polymorphism Is Associated with Performance in Elite Rink-Hockey Players

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Genetic factors play a key role in athletes’ success; therefore, the interest for the study of the genetic profile contributing the most to extraordinary results in sport has been increasing. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of genetic determinants in the athletic performance of the world’s top best rink-hockey players. According to our results, elite rink-hockey players carrying the Fatty Acid Amide Hydrolase (FAAH) rs324420 A allele (AA or AC genotype) are three times more likely to be super athletes, which could be attributed to a higher pain tolerance and better stress coping, which may be useful for training and competition strategies. Despite the promising results, as this is a pioneer study, additional studies are needed for further validation of our results in rink-hockey and other sport modalities. ABSTRACT: Genetic factors are among the major contributors to athletic performance. Although more than 150 genetic variants have been correlated with elite athlete status, genetic foundations of competition-facilitating behavior influencing elite performances are still scarce. This is the first study designed to examine the distribution of genetic determinants in the athletic performance of elite rink-hockey players. A total of 116 of the world’s top best rink-hockey players (28.2 ± 8.7 years old; more than 50% are cumulatively from the best four world teams and the best five Portuguese teams), who participated at the elite level in the National Rink-Hockey Championship in Portugal, were evaluated in anthropometric indicators/measurements, training conditions, sport experience and sport injuries history. Seven genetic polymorphisms were analyzed. Polymorphism genotyping was performed using the TaqMan(®) Allelic Discrimination Methodology. Rink-hockey players demonstrated significantly different characteristics according to sex, namely anthropometrics, training habits, sports injuries and genetic variants, such as Vitamin D Receptor (VDR) rs731236 (p < 0.05). The Fatty Acid Amide Hydrolase (FAAH) rs324420 A allele was significantly associated with improved athletic performance (AA/AC vs. CC, OR = 2.80; 95% Cl, 1.23–6.35; p = 0.014; p = 0.008 after Bootstrap) and confirmed as an independent predictor among elite rink-hockey players (adjusted OR = 2.88; 95% Cl, 1.06–7.80; p = 0.038). Our results open an interesting link from FAAH-related biology to athletic performance.