Related Experiment Videos
Increased body iron stores in elite road cyclists
Yves Deugnier1, Olivier Loréal, François Carré
1Service des Maladies du Foie and INSERM-U522, Laboratoire de Physiologie, Laboratoire d'Anatomie Pathologique B, Département de Radiologie, Rennes, France. yves.deugnier@univ-rennes1.fr
Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise
|May 2, 2002
Summary
Elite cyclists with hyperferritinemia often have elevated body iron stores due to excessive iron supplementation. This iron overload can lead to long-term health issues and requires careful monitoring and management.
Area of Science:
- Sports Medicine
- Clinical Biochemistry
- Nutritional Science
Background:
- Hyperferritinemia (elevated serum ferritin) was observed in one-third of French elite road cyclists during 1998 Tour de France antidoping tests.
- This finding prompted an investigation into the causes and consequences of this condition in athletes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if hyperferritinemia in elite cyclists indicates elevated body iron stores.
- To investigate the mechanisms, clinical effects, and natural progression of hyperferritinemia in this population.
Main Methods:
- Studied 83 elite male road cyclists with hyperferritinemia (serum ferritin > 300 µg/L).
- Assessed iron consumption, serum iron levels, HFE gene mutations, and hepatic iron concentration (HIC).
Main Results:
- Cyclists were asymptomatic with normal physical and cardiac exams.
- Elevated hepatic iron concentration (HIC) was found in most cyclists, indicating increased body iron stores.
- 89% of cyclists had received iron supplementation, which correlated significantly with serum ferritin levels.
Conclusions:
- Hyperferritinemia in elite cyclists is primarily caused by excessive iron supplementation, leading to increased body iron stores.
- Even mild iron excess poses risks for long-term complications and necessitates intervention, especially upon retirement.
- Iron supplementation should be guided by serum ferritin monitoring, not solely by serum iron levels, to prevent iatrogenic iron overload.