Investigation of Alpha-Actinin-3 (ACTN3) Gene Polymorphism in Bodybuilding Athletes: The Case of Samsun Province in Turkey

This study aimed to examine the relationship between the polymorphism of the alpha-actinin-3 gene in bodybuilding athletes and their sports performance. In the context of the study, 35 bodybuilding athletes living in Samsun province of Turkey participated in the study voluntarily. DNA isolation was carried out at the Black Sea Advanced Technology and Research Center. The study results suggested that there was no statistically significant difference between RR, RX, and XX genotype distributions of national bodybuilding athletes and non-national bodybuilding athletes (p>0.05). However, a significant difference was found between body weights, maximum bench press, and the sports experience of nationals and non-nationals (p<0.05). Consequently, it was concluded that national and non-national bodybuilding athletes did not have any significant differences between the RR genotype, XX genotype, and RX genotype. We suggest that trainers choose the athletes who have the RR and RX gene during the selection of professional athletes.