Genetics and artistic gymnastics: 2014 update

Purpose: Much evidence has been provided to support the relationship between single nucleotide polymorphisms and athletic performance and the susceptibility to develop injuries participating in sports. We report an up-to-date review of the genetic factors involved in artistic gymnastics. Methods: We conducted a search in PubMed using specific keywords and a date range of 1990 to the present. Results: Genetic predisposition to artistic gymnastics has been analyzed using candidate gene studies. To date, seven genetic polymorphisms (ACE I/D; ACTN3R577X; VDR FokI, BsmI, and TaqI; and ADRB3 Trp64Arg) have been associated with artistic gymnastics performance, while one polymorphism (COL11A1 4603C/T) has been correlated to artistic gymnastics injuries. Conclusion: Recently, several individual genetic variations contributing to athletic performance have been identified, and various polymorphisms have been indicated as risk factors for sports injuries. However, genetic studies related to artistic gymnastics remain few in number and are somewhat contradictory. Further studies are needed to establish the influence and interaction of genes across a range of artistic gymnastics parameters.