Abstract
Background/Objectives: Iron deficiency and anemia may impair athletic performance, and iron supplements are commonly consumed by athletes. However, iron overload should be avoided because of the possible long-term adverse health effects.
Methods: We investigated the iron status of 170 male and female recreational runners participating in the Zürich marathon. Iron deficiency was defined either as a plasma ferritin (PF) concentration 200¿µg/l. Iron depletion was found in only 2 out of 127 men (1.6% of the male study population) and in 12 out of 43 (28.0%) women. Functional iron deficiency was found in 5 (3.9%) and 11 (25.5%) male and female athletes, respectively. Body iron stores, calculated from the sTfR/PF ratio, were significantly higher (P
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 490-494 |
Journal | European Journal of Clinical Nutrition |
Volume | 64 |
Issue number | 5 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2010 |
Keywords
- previously untrained women
- serum ferritin
- body iron
- myocardial-infarction
- transferrin receptor
- road cyclists
- deficiency
- anemia
- supplementation
- prevalence