Effect of obesity-related gene polymorphisms on weight loss of female wrestlers

Background and Study Aim: Many wrestlers undergo extreme dieting, with rapid weight loss and fluid restriction, to achieve rule weight as measured before a match. Insight into the genetics of weight loss has been gained from studies of patients with lifestyle-related diseases, including obesity and diabetes, who show weight loss resistance in the face of therapeutic interventions such as diet and exercise. However, the effect of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in obesity-related genes on the rapid weight loss that athletes experience in weight-class sports such as wrestling remains to be elucidated. The purpose of this study was the effect of SNPs in ADRB3, ADRB2, and UCP1 on rapid weight loss in female wrestlers. Material and Methods: Twenty-two female wrestlers who sought weight loss before a match participated in this study. We performed real-time polymerase chain reaction using a quenching probe to determine subject genotypes. Results: Thirteen subjects had the ADRB3 (Trp/Trp) wild-type genotype, whereas 9 had the ADRB3 (Trp/Arg) polymorphic genotype. Five subjects had the ADRB2 (Arg/Arg) genotype, and 17 had the ADRB2 (Arg/Gly) polymorphic genotype. Five subjects had the UCP1 (-3826A/A) genotype, and 17 had the UCP1 (-3829A/G) polymorphic genotype. No statistically significant associations were detected between genotypes of obesity-related genes with any of the weight loss indicators measured. Conclusions: SNPs in the obesity-related genes ADRB3, ADRB2, and UCP1 do not appear to affect weight loss in female wrestlers during rapid weight loss regimens prior to a match.