Can ADH1B help with Sport?

The question of whether ADH1B can help with sport cannot be answered based on the available information. ADH1B encodes alcohol dehydrogenase, an enzyme that metabolizes ethanol. Variants such as ADH1B*2 (rs1229984) accelerate the conversion of alcohol to acetaldehyde, causing facial flushing, nausea, and headache – a protective effect against excessive drinking. There is no known direct performance-enhancing effect on sport. Indirectly, faster alcohol clearance might improve recovery after alcohol consumption, but this is not a medically relevant advantage for athletes. The evidence is purely mechanistic; no controlled studies link ADH1B variants to athletic performance or endurance. MyBody-X does not offer a specific ADH1B test for sports. Those seeking to optimize athletic performance should focus on validated factors like training, nutrition, and sleep. A genetic test for ADH1B provides no actionable insights for sport.