Iron Status and Homeostasis Across 2 Competitive Seasons in NCAA Division I Collegiate Cross-Country Runners Residing at Low Altitude.
Int J Sports Physiol Perform
; 17(12): 1716-1724, 2022 Dec 01.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-36343619
ABSTRACT
PURPOSE:
Inflammatory cytokines including interleukin-6 can upregulate hepcidin and decrease iron absorption. Endurance exercise is associated with transient increases in cytokines, which may alter the risk of iron deficiency (ID). This study examined whether chronic elevations in basal levels of cytokines and hepcidin were associated with ID in highly trained runners.METHODS:
Fifty-four collegiate runners (26 males and 28 females) living at â¼1625 m were recruited from an NCAA Division I cross-country team for this prospective cohort study. Over 2 seasons, fasted, preexercise blood draws were performed in the morning 4 times per season and were analyzed for hemoglobin concentration, ferritin, soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR), hepcidin, and 10 cytokines. Stages of ID were defined using ferritin, sTfR, and hemoglobin concentration. During the study, a registered dietician provided all runners with iron supplements using athletic department-created guidelines.RESULTS:
Fifty-seven percent of females and 35% of males exhibited stage 2 ID (ferritin <20 ng/mL or sTfR >29.5 nmol/L) at least once. Cytokines, ferritin, and sTfR exhibited changes through the 2 years, but changes in cytokines were not associated with alterations in hepcidin, ferritin, or sTfR. In males and females, lower ferritin was associated with lower hepcidin (both P < .0001). One female exhibited higher hepcidin and lower iron stores compared with other individuals, suggesting a different etiology of ID.CONCLUSION:
ID is common in highly trained collegiate runners. In general, the high prevalence of ID in this population is not associated with alterations in basal hepcidin or cytokine levels.Key words
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Running
/
Anemia, Iron-Deficiency
/
Athletes
/
Iron Deficiencies
Type of study:
Observational_studies
/
Risk_factors_studies
Limits:
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
Language:
En
Journal:
Int J Sports Physiol Perform
Journal subject:
FISIOLOGIA
/
MEDICINA ESPORTIVA
Year:
2022
Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
United States