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MAOB

Breakdown of Sleep-Wake Compounds & Elevated Fatigue (MAOB)

Written by Shany Lahan, MS (Neuroscience) on November 11th, 2020

The MAOB gene codes for an enzyme that breaks down compounds involved in arousal and sleepiness. How might variants of MAOB increase the risk of chronic fatigue syndrome? Read more to find out.

Summary

The MAOB gene encodes monoamine oxidase B, an enzyme that breaks down compounds (phenylethylamine and monoamines) involved in modulating arousal and sleepiness. Variants of MAOB may play a role in chronic fatigue syndrome by increasing monoamine oxidase B activity. Lifestyle and diet modifications may counteract the effects of these variants by balancing levels of phenylethylamine and monoamines.

MAOB and Fatigue

The MAOB gene codes for monoamine oxidase B, an enzyme that helps break down compounds such as dopamine and phenylethylamine [R].

Dopamine is a chemical messenger (neurotransmitter) with many roles in the brain. Phenylethylamine can stimulate the release of dopamine and other chemical messengers, including serotonin and norepinephrine. Collectively, serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine are referred to as monoamines [R, R, R].

While a higher amount of monoamine oxidase B implies lower monoamine levels (due to increased breakdown), a lower amount of monoamine oxidase B implies higher monoamine levels (due to decreased breakdown).

Monoamines play many complex roles in the nervous system, and the roles of each monoamine often overlap. Interestingly, some of these neurotransmitters also have the ability to modulate one another’s activity [R].

For example, dopamine and norepinephrine can both induce arousal and alertness, while serotonin can inhibit the activity of these two neurotransmitters in order to induce sleepiness [R].

Variants of MAOB have been associated with chronic fatigue syndrome, an illness characterized by prolonged low energy. These variants may increase monoamine oxidase B activity and consequently decrease monoamine levels. Ultimately, the effects of these variants may result in a monoamine imbalance, dysregulating monoamine function [R, R].

Your MAOB Results for Fatigue

*Note that MAOB is located on the X chromosome, so men (XY) will have single-lettered genotypes.

SNP Table

variant	genotype	frequency	risk allele
rs3027452
rs2283729
rs1799836

Primary SNP

MAOB rs3027452 [R]

‘G’ = Increased risk of chronic fatigue syndrome
‘A’ = Not associated with chronic fatigue syndrome

Other Important SNPs

MAOB rs2283729 [R]

‘G’ = Increased risk of chronic fatigue syndrome
‘A’ = Not associated with chronic fatigue syndrome

MAOB rs1799836 [R]

‘T’ = Increased risk of chronic fatigue syndrome
‘C’ = Not associated with chronic fatigue syndrome

Recommendations

Lifestyle

Exercise

Many animal- and human-based studies have attested to exercise’s ability to modulate levels of phenylethylamine and monoamines [R, R, R].

A sedentary lifestyle is a common cause of persistent fatigue. Several studies have reported that practicing more exercise may reduce fatigue in healthy people. Paradoxically, being ‘too tired’ was the most common excuse for not exercising in a study on middle-aged and elderly people [R, R, R, R].

People with chronic fatigue syndrome are at especially high risk of not meeting physical activity requirements. In people with this condition, engaging in regular physical exercise may help reduce fatigue — even more than in healthy controls, according to one meta-analysis [R, R, R].

Multiple studies have reported that exercise may help with fatigue from other conditions such as multiple sclerosis, cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, COPD, lupus, ALS, fibromyalgia, muscle disease, and heart failure [R, R, R, R, R, R, R, R, R].

However, over-exercising can lead to fatigue and several health issues. Experts recommend moderate exercise such as brisk walking, swimming, or cycling.

Participating in moderate exercise, such as brisk walking, swimming, or cycling, may reduce fatigue by modulating levels of phenylethylamine and monoamines.

Diet

Blackcurrant

Ingestion of blackcurrant juice reduced physical and mental fatigue in healthy volunteers. Similarly, blackcurrant anthocyanins reduced shoulder fatigue and stiffness from typing in a small trial [R, R, R].

In cyclists, blackcurrant fruit powder reduced blood lactate buildup during exercise and improved cardiovascular function at rest. In climbers, blackcurrant extract increased hanging and total climbing times [R, R].

In two randomized controlled trials, blackcurrant juice was found to temporarily increase monoamine levels, while also improving mood. Although this effect was attributed to inhibition of monoamine oxidase B, it was almost completely reversed 24 hours after consumption of a single drink [R, R].

Blackcurrant may reduce fatigue by temporarily inhibiting the activity of monoamine oxidase B and increasing levels of monoamines.

Dark Chocolate

Flavonol-rich cocoa and dark chocolate have been shown to reduce physical and mental fatigue in people with sustained mental effort, chronic fatigue syndrome, and multiple sclerosis [R, R, R].

The effects of dark chocolate may also be attributed to its caffeine content. A comprehensive clinical review of 21 meta-analyses concluded that caffeine improves exercise performance in a broad range of exercise tasks, in part through its anti-fatigue effects [R].

When caffeine delays fatigue, the body’s muscles can contract more forcefully and allow people to exercise longer. Aerobic exercise such as running, jogging, cardio workout, swimming, and biking can benefit the most from increased training volume [R, R].

Caffeine may also improve alertness while reducing mental fatigue, especially in sleep-deprived people. Several studies report reduced fatigue from mentally-demanding tasks after taking caffeine-containing beverages. However, frequent users seem to develop tolerance to the effects of caffeine [R, R, R, R, R, R, R].

Interestingly, dark chocolate also contains phenylethylamine, serotonin, dopamine, and their precursors — although scientists warn that individuals may need to eat plenty of dark chocolate to reap the associated benefits from these compounds [R, R, R].

Dark chocolate contains flavonols and caffeine, which may reduce fatigue by modulating levels of phenylethylamine and monoamines.

Shany Lahan

MS (Neuroscience)

Shany received her MSc in Neuroscience from Western University.

Prior to joining SelfDecode, Shany conducted research related to Alzheimer’s disease, and taught science to undergraduate students. She believes that research should be accessible to everyone, regardless of scientific background. Shany joined SelfDecode with a mission to help others optimize their health and wellbeing – as well as help them understand the science behind it all.

Disclaimer

The information on this website has not been evaluated by the Food & Drug Administration or any other official medical body. This information is presented for educational purposes only, and may not be used to diagnose or treat any illness or disease.

Also keep in mind that the “Risk Score” presented in this post is based only on a select number of SNPs, and therefore only represents a small portion of your total risk as an individual. Furthermore, these analyses are based primarily on associational studies, which do not necessarily imply causation. Finally, many other (non-genetic) factors can also play a significant role in the development of a disease or health condition — therefore, carrying any of the risk-associated genotypes discussed in this post does not necessarily mean you are at increased risk of developing a major health condition.

Always consult your doctor before acting on any information or recommendations discussed in this post — especially if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have been officially diagnosed with a medical condition.

More sleep blogs

Circadian Rhythms, Obesity, and Weight Loss (CLOCK) A Gene That Controls When You Want to Eat (NPAS2) Can the Happiness Hormone Keep You From Feeling Tired? (DRD2) The Role of Serotonin in CFS & Fibromyalgia (HTR2A) Dysregulated Sleep-Wake Cycles & Fatigue (TPH2) A Chemical Messenger With Dual Roles in Fatigue (DRD3)

More energy & fatigue blogs

Does This Gene Influence Your Sleep Quality And Attention Span? (ADA) Can the Happiness Hormone Keep You From Feeling Tired? (DRD2) Opioid Involvement in Fatigue (OPRM1) The Role of Serotonin in CFS & Fibromyalgia (HTR2A) Dysregulated Sleep-Wake Cycles & Fatigue (TPH2) The Fight or Flight Response in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ADRA1A) Can This Adrenaline Gene Prevent Chronic Fatigue? (ADRB2) A Chemical Messenger With Dual Roles in Fatigue (DRD3)

Content

Summary MAOB and Fatigue Your MAOB Results for Fatigue

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Breakdown of Sleep-Wake Compounds & Elevated Fatigue (MAOB)

Summary

MAOB and Fatigue

Your MAOB Results for Fatigue

SNP Table

Recommendations

Lifestyle

Exercise

Diet

Blackcurrant

Dark Chocolate

Disclaimer

More sleep blogs

More energy & fatigue blogs

Content

Unlock Personalized Results And So Much More!

Essential Bundle

Essential

Bundle

Ultimate Bundle

Limited Time Offer 25% Off

Individual DNA Reports

Methylation Pathway - MTHFR Test

Histamine Intolerance DNA Pathway Report

Gut Health, Digestion & IBS DNA Report

Autoimmune Disease Risk & Prevention DNA Report

See all reports

Policies

About

Navigation

Health reports