AUTHOR=Su Weilong , Yuan Lingfeng , He Zhaozhe , Ding Fan , Sun Jun , Xiong Yingzhe , Song Xiaobo 
  
TITLE=Association between the PPARGC1A Gly482Ser (rs8192678) polymorphism and endurance and power athlete status: a systematic review and meta-analysis
  
JOURNAL=Frontiers in Physiology
  
VOLUME=Volume 16 - 2025
  
YEAR=2026
  
URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/physiology/articles/10.3389/fphys.2025.1733458
  
DOI=10.3389/fphys.2025.1733458
  
ISSN=1664-042X
  
ABSTRACT=BackgroundEvidence on the association between the PPARGC1A Gly482Ser (rs8192678) polymorphism and elite athlete status is inconsistent, and a prior meta-analysis has used a genotype-merging approach that may bias results.ObjectiveThis systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to clarify the association between the PPARGC1A Gly482Ser (rs8192678) polymorphism and elite endurance and power athlete status.MethodsA comprehensive literature search was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Cochrane Library from inception to November 2025. Studies were included if they provided genotype frequency data for the PPARGC1A Gly482Ser polymorphism in elite endurance or power athletes and non-athlete controls. Fixed or random-effects models were used to calculate odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI), and heterogeneity was assessed using the I2 statistic.Results21 studies involving 5,795 athletes and 9,048 non-athlete controls were included. Compared with non-athlete controls, a higher frequency of the Gly/Gly genotype was observed in Caucasian endurance athletes (OR 1.19; 95% CI 1.08–1.31; p < 0.001) and Caucasian power athletes (OR 1.30; 95% CI 1.17–1.44; p < 0.001). In Asians, no significant difference in the frequency of the Gly/Gly genotype was observed between endurance athletes and controls (OR 0.92; 95% CI 0.71–1.19; p = 0.523), whereas a lower frequency was observed in Asian power athletes (OR 0.69; 95% CI 0.53–0.90; p = 0.007).ConclusionOur findings demonstrate that the Gly/Gly genotype of the PPARGC1A Gly482Ser polymorphism was associated with an increased likelihood of achieving elite athlete status in Caucasians, suggesting its potential as a genetic marker for athletic talent identification in this population. In Asians, no significant association was observed between the PPARGC1A Gly482Ser polymorphism and elite endurance athlete status, whereas the Gly/Gly genotype is associated with a lower likelihood of achieving elite power athlete status.Systematic Review registrationidentifier CRD420251148245.