Associations of Brain-Derived Neurotropic Factor rs6265 Gene Polymorphism with Personality Dimensions among Athletes

Kinga Humińska-Lisowska, Jolanta Chmielowiec, Krzysztof Chmielowiec, Marta Niewczas, Milena Lachowicz, Paweł Cięszczyk, Jolanta Masiak, Aleksandra Strońska-Pluta, Monika Michałowska-Sawczyn, Ewelina Maculewicz and Anna Grzywacz ()
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Kinga Humińska-Lisowska: Faculty of Physical Culture, Gdansk University of Physical Education and Sport, 80-336 Gdansk, Poland
Jolanta Chmielowiec: Department of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Collegium Medicum, University of Zielona Góra, 28 Zyty St., 65-046 Zielona Góra, Poland
Krzysztof Chmielowiec: Department of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Collegium Medicum, University of Zielona Góra, 28 Zyty St., 65-046 Zielona Góra, Poland
Marta Niewczas: Faculty of Physical Education, University of Rzeszów, 35-959 Rzeszów, Poland
Milena Lachowicz: Department of Psychology, Gdansk University of Physical Education and Sport, 80-336 Gdansk, Poland
Paweł Cięszczyk: Faculty of Physical Culture, Gdansk University of Physical Education and Sport, 80-336 Gdansk, Poland
Jolanta Masiak: Second Department of Psychiatry and Psychiatric Rehabilitation, Medical University of Lublin, 1 Głuska St., 20-059 Lublin, Poland
Aleksandra Strońska-Pluta: Independent Laboratory of Health Promotion, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, 11 Chlapowskiego St., 70-204 Szczecin, Poland
Monika Michałowska-Sawczyn: Faculty of Physical Culture, Gdansk University of Physical Education and Sport, 80-336 Gdansk, Poland
Ewelina Maculewicz: Faculty of Physical Education, Jozef Pilsudski University of Physical Education in Warsaw, 00-809 Warsaw, Poland
Anna Grzywacz: Faculty of Physical Culture, Gdansk University of Physical Education and Sport, 80-336 Gdansk, Poland

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 15, 1-11

Abstract: Brain-Derived Neurotropic Factor ( BDNF ) is one of the essential mediating factors of exercise-induced neuroplasticity, but the underlying molecular mechanisms of exercise-induced neuroplasticity are still largely unknown. Personality dimensions differentiate individuals and depend on genes and environmental factors. The dimensions of openness to experience, emotional stability, extraversion and conscientiousness have been reported to be positively related to performance; considering agreeableness, a negative relation with sports performance was emphasized. However, not enough effort has been put into investigating the relationship between genetic polymorphisms affecting psychological abilities and competitive power sports. The aim of this study was to investigate the association of the rs6265 polymorphism of BDNF with personality dimensions in martial arts athletes. The study was conducted among martial arts athletes. The study group included 258 volunteers (martial arts athletes ( n = 106) and controls ( n = 152). BDNF polymorphism testing was performed using the real-time PCR method; personality dimensions were assessed using standardized NEO-FFI questionnaires. All analyses were performed using STATISTICA 13. We observed that martial arts athletes’ G/G genotypes compared to the control group G/G genotypes presented significantly higher severity of personality dimension “conscientiousness”. In comparison with the controls, the case group subjects had significantly higher scores in the dimension extraversion (M 6.89 vs. M 6.43, p = 0.0405) and conscientiousness/scale (M 7.23 vs. M 5.89, p < 0.0001). The results of 2 × 3 factorial ANOVA noticed a statistically significant effect of combined factor BDNF rs6265 genotype of martial arts/control (F 2,252 = 3.11, p = 0.0465, η 2 = 0.024). Additionally, we observed that the results of 2 × 3 factorial ANOVA showed a statistically significant influence of combined factor BDNF rs6265 of genotype martial arts/ control (F 2,252 = 6.16, p = 0.0024, η 2 = 0.047). The combination of the analysis of personality dimensions with genetics—as in the case of the polymorphism of the BDNF gene related to neuroplasticity—indicates that neurobiology cannot be ignored in educating sports champions. We already know that this is related to genetics. However, little is still known about the influence of personality traits on sports performance. We observed that martial arts athletes’ G/G genotypes, in comparison to the control group’s G/G genotypes, presented significantly higher severity of personality dimension “conscientiousness”. This is worthy of further analysis and probably longitudinal studies on a more numerous group of athletes.

Keywords: genes; athletes; personality; BDNF gene; rs6265 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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