Genetic Variations in Susceptibility to Traumatic Muscle Injuries and Muscle Pain among Brazilian High-Performance Athletes

Traumatic muscle injuries (TMIs) and muscle pain (MP) negatively impact athletes' performance and quality of life. Both conditions have a complex pathophysiology involving the interplay between genetic and environmental factors. Yet, the existing data are scarce and controversial. To provide more insights, this study aimed to investigate the association of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) previously linked to athletic status with TMI and MP after exercise among Brazilian high-performance athletes from different sports modalities (N = 345). The impact of important environmental determinants was also assessed. From the six evaluated SNPs ( rs1815739, rs324420, rs8192678, rs1042713, rs1799983, and rs731236), none was significantly associated with TMI. Regarding MP after exercise, rs1815739 (CC/CT vs. TT; adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 1.90; 95% confidence interval (95%Cl), 1.01-3.57) and rs324420 (AA vs. AC/CC; aOR = 2.30; 95%Cl, 1.08-4.91) were independent predictors according to multivariate binomial analyses adjusted for age (≥23 vs.