{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,1]],"date-time":"2026-03-01T10:13:04Z","timestamp":1772359984465,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":45,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"6","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,5,26]],"date-time":"2023-05-26T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1685059200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"ICBAS-PD Biomedical Sciences-200203100"},{"name":"the Portuguese League Against Cancer\u2014Northern Branch (LPCC-NRN)"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Genes"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Genetic variants are recognized to affect athletic performance, partially by modulating competition-facilitating behavior. In this study, the role of three genetic variants previously linked to athlete status was investigated among elite volleyball players. A total of 228 players (26.7 \u00b1 8.1 years old) participating in the Portuguese championship and with multiple medalists in national and international competitions were evaluated in terms of anthropometrics, training regime, sports experience, and a history of sports lesions. SNP genotyping was conducted by means of TaqMan\u00ae Allelic Discrimination Methodology. Volleyball players showed significantly different anthropometric indicators and training habits according to sex (p &lt; 0.05). The A allele of the genetic variant Fatty Acid Amide Hydrolase (FAAH) rs324420 (C385A) was shown to be significantly associated with superior athletic achievements under a dominant genetic model (AA\/AC vs. CC, odds ratio (OR) = 1.70; 95% Cl, 0.93\u20133.13; p = 0.026; p &lt; 0.001 after Bootstrap), which was corroborated by a multivariable analysis (AA\/AC vs. CC adjusted OR = 2.00; 95% Cl, 1.04\u20133.82; p = 0.037). Age and hand length were also found to be independently associated with high-level performance (p &lt; 0.05). Our results confirm the role of FAAH in athletic performance. More investigation into this polymorphism\u2019s potential impact on stress coping, pain, and inflammation regulation in sport, particularly in the scope of lesions prevention and treatment, is required.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/genes14061164","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,5,27]],"date-time":"2023-05-27T16:10:53Z","timestamp":1685203853000},"page":"1164","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":4,"title":["Association of FAAH rs324420 (C385A) Polymorphism with High-Level Performance in Volleyball Players"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"14","author":[{"given":"Hugo-Henrique","family":"Silva","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"ICBAS-Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal"},{"name":"Portuguese Ministry of Education, 1399-025 Lisboa, Portugal"},{"name":"Senior Rink-Hockey Team, Uniao Desportiva Oliveirense-Simoldes, 3720-256 Oliveira de Azemeis, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3680-7757","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Val\u00e9ria","family":"Tavares","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"ICBAS-Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal"},{"name":"Molecular Oncology and Viral Pathology Group, Research Center of IPO Porto (CI-IPOP)\/RISE@CI-IPOP, Portuguese Oncology Institute of Porto (IPO Porto)\/Porto Comprehensive Cancer Center (Porto.CCC), 4200-072 Porto, Portugal"},{"name":"FMUP-Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, 4200-072 Porto, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8170-3119","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Maria-Raquel G.","family":"Silva","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"FP-I3ID, FP-BHS, University Fernando Pessoa, 4249-004 Porto, Portugal"},{"name":"Faculty of Health Sciences, University Fernando Pessoa, 4200-150 Porto, Portugal"},{"name":"CIAS-Research Centre for Anthropology and Health\u2014Human Biology, Health and Society, University of Coimbra, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal"},{"name":"CHRC-Comprehensive Health Research Centre, Nova Medical School, Nova University of Lisbon, 1150-090 Lisboa, Portugal"},{"name":"Scientific Committee of the Gymnastics Federation of Portugal, 1600-159 Lisboa, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Beatriz Vieira","family":"Neto","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Molecular Oncology and Viral Pathology Group, Research Center of IPO Porto (CI-IPOP)\/RISE@CI-IPOP, Portuguese Oncology Institute of Porto (IPO Porto)\/Porto Comprehensive Cancer Center (Porto.CCC), 4200-072 Porto, Portugal"},{"name":"FMUP-Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, 4200-072 Porto, Portugal"}]},{"given":"F\u00e1tima","family":"Cerqueira","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Molecular Oncology and Viral Pathology Group, Research Center of IPO Porto (CI-IPOP)\/RISE@CI-IPOP, Portuguese Oncology Institute of Porto (IPO Porto)\/Porto Comprehensive Cancer Center (Porto.CCC), 4200-072 Porto, Portugal"},{"name":"FP-I3ID, FP-BHS, University Fernando Pessoa, 4249-004 Porto, Portugal"},{"name":"Faculty of Health Sciences, University Fernando Pessoa, 4200-150 Porto, Portugal"},{"name":"CIIMAR\/CIMAR, Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, 4450-208 Matosinhos, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3010-8373","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Rui","family":"Medeiros","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Molecular Oncology and Viral Pathology Group, Research Center of IPO Porto (CI-IPOP)\/RISE@CI-IPOP, Portuguese Oncology Institute of Porto (IPO Porto)\/Porto Comprehensive Cancer Center (Porto.CCC), 4200-072 Porto, Portugal"},{"name":"FMUP-Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, 4200-072 Porto, Portugal"},{"name":"FP-I3ID, FP-BHS, University Fernando Pessoa, 4249-004 Porto, Portugal"},{"name":"Faculty of Health Sciences, University Fernando Pessoa, 4200-150 Porto, Portugal"},{"name":"Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Department, Clinical Pathology SVIPO Porto Portuguese Oncology Institute of Porto, 4200-072 Porto, Portugal"},{"name":"LPCC, Research Department, Portuguese League Against Cancer (LPPC\u2014NRN), 4200-172 Porto, Portugal"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,5,26]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"41","DOI":"10.1159\/000445240","article-title":"Genes and athletic performance: An Update","volume":"61","author":"Ahmetov","year":"2016","journal-title":"Med. 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