title: The dopaminergic reward system and leisure time exercise behavior: a candidate allele study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Twin studies provide evidence that genetic influences contribute strongly to individual differences in exercise behavior. We hypothesize that part of this heritability is explained by genetic variation in the dopaminergic reward system. Eight single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs in DRD1: rs265981, DRD2: rs6275, rs1800497, DRD3: rs6280, DRD4: rs1800955, DBH: rs1611115, rs2519152, and in COMT: rs4680) and three variable number of tandem repeats (VNTRs in DRD4, upstream of DRD5, and in DAT1) were investigated for an association with regular leisure time exercise behavior.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data on exercise activities and at least one SNP/VNTR were available for 8,768 individuals aged 7 to 50 years old that were part of the Netherlands Twin Register. Exercise behavior was quantified as weekly metabolic equivalents of task (MET) spent on exercise activities. Mixed models were fitted in SPSS with genetic relatedness as a random effect.
  
  
  RESULTS
  None of the genetic variants were associated with exercise behavior (P>.02), despite sufficient power to detect small effects.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We did not confirm that allelic variants involved in dopaminergic function play a role in creating individual differences in exercise behavior. A plea is made for large genome-wide association studies to unravel the genetic pathways that affect this health-enhancing behavior.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Psychology, VU University Amsterdam, Van der Boechorststraat 1, 1081 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands ; EMGO+ Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Center, Van der Boechorststraat 7, 1081 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Charlotte
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Huppertz
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Psychology, VU University Amsterdam, Van der Boechorststraat 1, 1081 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands ; EMGO+ Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Center, Van der Boechorststraat 7, 1081 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands ; Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam, VU University Medical Center, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Meike
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bartels
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Psychology, VU University Amsterdam, Van der Boechorststraat 1, 1081 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Maria M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Groen-Blokhuis
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Psychology, VU University Amsterdam, Van der Boechorststraat 1, 1081 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Conor V
authors.initials: CV
authors.lastname: Dolan
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Psychology, VU University Amsterdam, Van der Boechorststraat 1, 1081 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Marleen H M
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: de Moor
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Psychology, VU University Amsterdam, Van der Boechorststraat 1, 1081 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands ; Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam, VU University Medical Center, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Abdel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Abdellaoui
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Psychology, VU University Amsterdam, Van der Boechorststraat 1, 1081 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Catharina E M
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: van Beijsterveldt
authors.affiliation: Avera Institute for Human Genetics, Avera McKennan Hospital and University Health Center, 3720 W. 69th Street Suite 200, Sioux Falls, SD 57108, USA.
authors.forename: Erik A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Ehli
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Psychology, VU University Amsterdam, Van der Boechorststraat 1, 1081 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Jouke-Jan
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Hottenga
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Psychology, VU University Amsterdam, Van der Boechorststraat 1, 1081 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands ; EMGO+ Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Center, Van der Boechorststraat 7, 1081 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Gonneke
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Willemsen
authors.affiliation: Department of Community and Family Medicine, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, 1 Rope Ferry Road, Hanover, NH 03755-1404, USA.
authors.forename: Xiangjun
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, University of Texas M.D., Anderson Cancer Center, Unit 1340, P.O. Box 301439, Houston, TX 77230-1439, USA.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Scheet
authors.affiliation: Avera Institute for Human Genetics, Avera McKennan Hospital and University Health Center, 3720 W. 69th Street Suite 200, Sioux Falls, SD 57108, USA.
authors.forename: Gareth E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Davies
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Psychology, VU University Amsterdam, Van der Boechorststraat 1, 1081 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands ; EMGO+ Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Center, Van der Boechorststraat 7, 1081 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands ; Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam, VU University Medical Center, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Dorret I
authors.initials: DI
authors.lastname: Boomsma
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Medicine, and Pediatrics, Vermont Center for Children, Youth and Families, College of Medicine, University of Vermont, UHC Campus, Arnold 3, 1 South Prospect, Burlington, VT 05401, USA.
authors.forename: James J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Hudziak
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Psychology, VU University Amsterdam, Van der Boechorststraat 1, 1081 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands ; EMGO+ Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Center, Van der Boechorststraat 7, 1081 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands ; Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam, VU University Medical Center, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Eco J C
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: de Geus
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000465:Algorithms; D000483:Alleles; D002648:Child; D003198:Computer Simulation; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005838:Genotype; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018598:Minisatellite Repeats; D009426:Netherlands; D010641:Phenotype; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D011954:Receptors, Dopamine / Q000235:genetics; D012042:Registries; D012201:Reward; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D011954:Receptors, Dopamine; D004298:Dopamine
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