DNA Traits · Body & performance
Lean body mass association
The weight of everything in the body that is not fat, such as muscle and bone.
What the research found
In the cited research, the A allele at rs2287926 was associated with higher whole-body lean mass after adjustment for fat mass and height in the studied cohorts.
- GG
- Lower average
- AG
- Middle
- AA
- Higher average
What the study found
In the study, each copy went with whole-body lean mass after adjustment for height and fat mass about 0.19 kg higher on average.
- Evidence
- Genome-wide association with independent replication
- Who was studied
- European-ancestry discovery and replication cohorts
How common each genotype is
| Region | GGLower average | AGMiddle | AAHigher average |
|---|---|---|---|
| All regions2,504 people | 63% | 32% | 5% |
| Africa661 people | 45% | 44% | 11% |
| The Americas347 people | 76% | 21% | 4% |
| East Asia504 people | 67% | 30% | 3% |
| Europe503 people | 78% | 21% | 1% |
| South Asia489 people | 58% | 36% | 6% |
Among the 2,504 people of the 1000 Genomes Project, in five world regions. These percentages describe groups of people, never anyone’s chance of having a trait.
Through time
How often the studied letter was read in ancient people, era by era, in the region chosen.
| Before farmingbefore 6500 BC | 8%5 of 65 copies read |
|---|---|
| First farmers6500 to 3000 BC | 13%130 of 968 copies read |
| Bronze Age3000 to 1200 BC | 14%126 of 931 copies read |
| Iron Age and Antiquity1200 BC to AD 600 | 13%152 of 1,134 copies read |
| Middle AgesAD 600 to 1500 | 15%86 of 592 copies read |
| Today1000 Genomes | 12%118 of 1,006 copies |
Neanderthal and Denisovan genomes
- Altai Neanderthal
- No copies
- Vindija Neanderthal
- No copies
- Chagyrskaya Neanderthal
- No copies
- Denisovan
- No copies
Neanderthals and Denisovans carried the other letter, so this letter is younger than our split with them.
The marker
- Gene or region
- VCAN
- Marker
- rs2287926
- Location
- Chromosome 5 · GRCh37 82,815,408 · GRCh38 83,519,589
- Letters studied
- A and G, with A as the studied allele
A DNA Traits report reads this marker in your raw DNA file and shows which of the three genotypes is yours, with how common it is. It counts the copies of the studied allele; it does not measure the trait itself.
- Marker
- VCAN · rs2287926
- Location
- Chromosome 5 · GRCh37 82,815,408 · GRCh38 83,519,589
- Studied allele
- A
- Published statistic
- beta 0.19 per A allele (SE 0.03), P 7.5e-9, N 85,519 (combined EU); discovery 0.24 (SE 0.05), P 8.6e-7, N 38,292; replication 0.15 (SE 0.04), P 8.5e-4, N 47,227; Table 1 (Table 1 (Combined EU columns))
- 1000 Genomes Project phase 3, people with 0, 1 and 2 copies
- All regions 1571 / 800 / 133 · Africa 299 / 291 / 71 · The Americas 262 / 72 / 13 · East Asia 337 / 153 / 14 · Europe 391 / 106 / 6 · South Asia 282 / 178 / 29
What it cannot tell you
Lean mass includes non-fat soft tissues, including organs, as well as muscle. The study adjusted for height, fat mass, age and sex. This marker cannot tell you your current muscle mass, bodybuilding potential or response to training, and it is not a test for low muscle mass.
Large meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies identifies five loci for lean body mass (Zillikens et al., 2017)More in Body & performance
- Handgrip strength association
- Adult height association
- Body fat percentage association
- Waist-to-hip ratio association in women
- Bone mineral density association
- Resting heart rate association
- Body mass index association
- Body mass index (MC4R)
- Adult height (GDF5)
- Adult height (ZBTB38)
- Adult height (HHIP)
- Adult height (LCORL)
- Waist-to-hip ratio in women (GRB14)
- Waist-to-hip ratio in women (ADAMTS9)
- Bone mineral density (WNT16)
- Bone mineral density (BMP4)
- Bone mineral density (CYP24A1)
- Handgrip strength (TGFA)
- Lean body mass (ADAMTSL3)
- Resting heart rate (GJA1)
See your own two letters.
Upload the raw DNA file you already have. Your report reads this marker and every other card studied for you, each with its evidence and its limits.