Blood DNA Methylation and Physical Fitness Associations in Healthy Adults

An epigenome-wide exploratory study investigating associations between blood DNA methylation at approximately 730,000 CpG sites and three physical performance indicators—estimated VO₂max, grip strength, and vertical jump height. The dataset, authored by Ferenc Torma and last updated in April 2026, contains results from analyses adjusted for age, sex, and blood cell composition, with participants stratified by cardiovascular fitness levels. No significant single-CpG associations were found, but differential methylation was identified at three specific sites and in several regions when comparing fitness groups.

Use Cases

• Hypothesis generation for epigenetic links to cardiorespiratory fitness based on VO₂max stratification.
• Exploratory analysis of DNA methylation patterns related to metabolic and inflammatory pathways mentioned in the results.
• Replication or meta-analysis focusing on the identified CpG sites (cg21308111, cg17890932, cg02967877) and differentially methylated regions (DMRs).
• Methodological comparison for epigenome-wide association studies (EWAS) using the Illumina MethylationEPIC array on continuous fitness phenotypes.

Strengths

• Data is derived from the Illumina MethylationEPIC array, covering approximately 730,000 CpG sites.
• Analyses were adjusted for key confounders including age, sex, and estimated blood cell composition.
• Results include specific, named CpG sites (e.g., cg21308111 in TNFRSF10A) with reported differential methylation patterns.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment for large-scale modeling.
• The authors describe the findings as hypothesis-generating, requiring confirmation in larger, independent cohorts.

Provenance

Source

Ferenc Torma via figshare.

Collection Method

Illumina MethylationEPIC array used on blood samples from a cohort of healthy adults, with epigenome-wide association analyses.

Time Range

The study period is not specified in the provided metadata.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-15 11:53:13.

Geography

The geographic coverage of the participant cohort is not specified.