Genetic influence on football performance - a systematic review

Purpose
To systematically review and organise the available literature devoted to the topic of genetics and performance in football

Methods
A systematic search was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines in Web of Science, SPORTDiscus, and PubMed for original research published before October 2019. The following keywords were entered: ‘Soccer’ OR ‘Football’ AND ‘Genetic’ OR ‘Epigenic’ OR ‘Powergene’ OR ‘Genomic’ OR ‘Genotype’ OR ‘Polymorphism’ OR ‘Genetic marker’. Articles were screened by using pre-defined selection criteria, and methodological quality was assessed independently by 2 authors.

Results
The electronic searches yielded 872 articles, and after the screening process, a total of 38 studies met the eligibility criteria and were subsequently included for review.

Conclusions
The reviewed studies identified the most frequently addressed topics in this area of research: (1) performance-related genes; (2) injury-related genes; (3) body composition-related genes; and (4) cardiac adaptations. This area of research is still at an early stage, and there is a need for studies to develop knowledge of genetics and its link with physical, technical, and cognitive performance in football with a view to facilitating talent identification in young players.