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Iron metabolism in boys involved in intensive physical training
1Academy of Physical Education, Al. Jana Pawla II 78, PL-31571, Kracow, Poland. irspodar@skok.awf.krakow.pl
Insights
Intensive training in young athletes significantly lowers iron stores and ferritin levels, leading to a high prevalence of iron deficiency and anemia. This highlights the need for monitoring iron status in child athletes.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Sports Medicine
- Exercise Physiology
- Nutritional Biochemistry
Background:
- Young athletes undergo rigorous training regimens.
- Monitoring iron status is crucial for performance and health.
- Iron deficiency can manifest as anemia or non-anemic states.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare hematological and iron-related parameters in trained vs. untrained prepubertal boys.
- To assess the impact of intensive training on iron stores, hemoglobin, ferritin, and serum transferrin receptor.
- To investigate the prevalence of iron deficiency and anemia in young athletes.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal study comparing trained athletes (10-12 years) with age-matched controls.
- Measurement of iron stores, hemoglobin, ferritin, and serum transferrin receptor.
- Dietary intake analysis to ensure comparability between groups.
Main Results:
- Trained boys showed significantly higher serum transferrin receptor concentrations during peak performance.
- Total body iron differences emerged only during the competition period.
- Endurance training led to decreased serum ferritin and reduced iron stores.
- Prevalence of latent anemia (15%) and manifest anemia (9%) was observed in trained children.
Conclusions:
- Intensive training in boys significantly depletes iron stores and lowers serum ferritin.
- A high prevalence of non-anemic iron deficiency and anemia exists in young athletes.
- Swimming training may be linked to these observed iron status changes.
Abstract:
The purpose of the present study was to compare some haematological and iron-related parameters of prepubertal boys (10-12 years old) involved in intensive physical training program in preparation for the national championship with nontrained age-matched subjects. For this purpose, iron stores, haemoglobin, ferritin and serum transferrin receptor concentrations were taken into account. The athletes' dietary intakes were similar to the respective intakes in the control group. Mean ferritin concentration was similar in investigated groups of boys at the start of the study, but significant changes between those groups occurred during the 8 months of study. Compared with the control group, the trained ones have shown significantly higher serum transferrin receptor concentration during the competition period of the training season, just when they reached maximum performance capacity. Similarly, significant difference in total body iron, estimated as the sum of the individual's red blood cells iron and iron stores, between investigated groups occurred only during the competition period. The main finding of this study is that the endurance training in boys brings about significant decrease in serum ferritin, as well as iron stores in the body. Haematological parameters and iron status of trained children revealed latent anaemia (15%) or even manifest anaemia (9%). These findings indicate high prevalence of nonanaemic iron deficiency in young athletes and bear relationship to swimming training.