Genomics in rugby union: A review and future prospects

Shane M. Heffernan*, Liam P. Kilduff, Stephen H. Day, Yannis P. Pitsiladis, Alun G. Williams

*Corresponding author for this work

    Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articlepeer-review

    23 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    This article introduces some aspects of sports genomics in a rugby union context, considers the rugby-specific genetic data in the published literature and outlines the next research steps required if the potential applications of genetic technology in rugby union, also identified here, are to become possible. A substantial proportion of the inter-individual variation for many traits related to rugby performance, including strength, short-term muscle power, VO2 max, injury susceptibility and the likelihood of being an elite athlete is inherited and can be investigated using molecular genetic techniques. In sports genomics, significant efforts have been made in recent years to develop large DNA biobanks of elite athletes for detailed exploration of the heritable bases of those traits. However, little effort has been devoted to the study of rugby athletes, and most of the little research that has focused on rugby was conducted with small cohorts of non-elite players. With steadily growing knowledge of the molecular mechanisms underpinning complex performance traits and the aetiology of injury, investigating sports genomics in the context of rugby is now a viable proposition and a worthwhile endeavour. The RugbyGene project we describe briefly in this article is a multi-institutional research collaboration in rugby union that will perform molecular genetic analyses of varying complexity. Genetic tests could become useful tools for rugby practitioners in the future and provide complementary and additional information to that provided by the non-genetic tests currently used.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)460-468
    Number of pages9
    JournalEuropean Journal of Sport Science
    Volume15
    Issue number6
    Early online date23 Mar 2015
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - Sept 2015

    Scopus Subject Areas

    • Orthopedics and Sports Medicine
    • Physical Therapy, Sports Therapy and Rehabilitation

    User-Defined Keywords

    • Athlete status
    • Rugby physiology
    • Sports genetics

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