Variations of collagen-encoding genes are associated with exercise-induced muscle damage

We investigated whether single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within genes encoding the alpha-1 chain of type I ( COL1A1, rs2249492 ; rs1800012 ), type II ( COL2A1, rs2070739 ), and type V (COL5A1, rs12722 ) collagen were associated with the variable response to exercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD). Knee extensor muscle strength and soreness were assessed pre-, post-, and 48 h post-EIMD (120 maximal eccentric knee extensor contractions) in 65 young healthy participants, who were genotyped for the aforementioned SNPs. We found that COL1A1 (minor) T-allele carriers ( rs1800012 ) and (major) T-allele homozygotes ( rs2249492 ) were generally weaker ( P ≤ 0.019); and (minor) A-allele carriers of COL2A1 ( P = 0.002) and (major) T-allele carriers of COL5A1 ( P = 0.004) SNPs reported greater muscle soreness, all compared with their respective major ( rs1800012 ; rs2070739 ) and minor ( rs2249492 ; rs12722 ) allele homozygote counterparts. To conclude, the risk alleles of these four SNPs appear to negatively influence muscle strength and post-EIMD recovery, possibly via a dysregulated collagen network affecting the muscle's mechanical properties.