What to watch with COMT and Sport?

COMT (catechol-O-methyltransferase) degrades dopamine, adrenaline, and noradrenaline. Common variants (Val158Met) affect enzyme activity: Val/Val (high activity) lowers prefrontal dopamine, potentially improving endurance but reducing pain tolerance. Met/Met (low activity) increases dopamine, which may enhance pain resistance and stress adaptation but could raise injury risk due to overtraining. For sport, Val/Val athletes might benefit from short, high-intensity efforts, while Met/Met athletes should prioritize recovery. Evidence is mainly mechanistic and from small studies; large RCTs are lacking. MyBody-X tests may include COMT, but clinical utility for sport guidance is limited. Recommendation: consider COMT as part of a multifactorial approach, not in isolation.