Genetic characterization of physical activity behaviours in university students enrolled in kinesiology degree programs.
Studies of physical activity behaviours have increasingly shown the importance of heritable factors such as genetic variation. Nonsynonymous polymorphisms of alpha-actinin 3 (ACTN3) and the β-adrenergic receptors 1 and 3 (ADRB1 and ADRB3) have been previously associated with exercise capacity and cardiometabolic health. We thus hypothesized that these polymorphisms are also related to physical activity behaviours in young adults. To test this hypothesis we examined relationships between ACTN3 (R577X), ARDB1 (Arg389Gly), ADRB3 (Trp64Arg), and physical activity behaviours in university students. We stratified for student enrollment in kinesiology degree programs compared with nonmajors as we previously found this to be a predictor of physical activity. We did not identify novel associations between physical activity and ACTN3. However, the minor alleles of ADRB1 and ADRB3 were significantly underrepresented in kinesiology students compared with nonmajors. Furthermore, carriers of the ADRB1 minor allele reported reduced participation in moderate physical activity and increased afternoon fatigue compared with ancestral allele homozygotes. Together, these findings suggest that the heritability of physical activity behaviours in young adults may be linked to nonsynonymous polymorphisms within β-adrenergic receptors.
a Genetic Medicine, Children's National Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA.|f Departments of Cell, Developmental, and Integrative Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), Birmingham, AL, USA.
Gina M
GM
Many
a Genetic Medicine, Children's National Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA.
Zachary
Z
Kendrick
b Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
Chelsea L
CL
Deschamps
a Genetic Medicine, Children's National Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA.
Courtney
C
Sprouse
a Genetic Medicine, Children's National Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA.
Laura L
LL
Tosi
a Genetic Medicine, Children's National Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA.
Joseph M
JM
Devaney
a Genetic Medicine, Children's National Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA.
Heather
H
Gordish-Dressman
a Genetic Medicine, Children's National Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA.
Whitney
W
Barfield
a Genetic Medicine, Children's National Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA.
Eric P
EP
Hoffman
c Department of Kinesiology, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, USA.
Joseph A
JA
Houmard
d Department of Kinesiology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA.
Linda S
LS
Pescatello
e Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
Hans J
HJ
Vogel
b Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.|e Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
Jane
J
Shearer
e Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
Dustin S
DS
Hittel
D000185:Actinin / Q000235:genetics*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000483:Alleles; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004032:Diet; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D056426:Genetic Loci; D005819:Genetic Markers; D060005:Genotyping Techniques; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000378:metabolism; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D018953:Kinesiology, Applied / Q000193:education*; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D018342:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta-1 / Q000235:genetics*; D022702:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta-3 / Q000235:genetics*; D013334:Students; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood; D055815:Young Adult
D000185:Actinin; D001786:Blood Glucose; D002784:Cholesterol; D005819:Genetic Markers; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin; D018342:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta-1; D022702:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta-3; D014280:Triglycerides; C118456:ACTN3 protein, human; C547787:ADRB1 protein, human; C568534:ADRB3 protein, human
behaviour; comportement; genetics; génétique; inactivity; inactivité; intensity; intensité; kinesiology; kinésiologie